


The Best Is Yet To Come

by Kittyinaz



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Legendary Tales Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-17
Updated: 2014-06-11
Packaged: 2017-12-26 21:37:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 29,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/970557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kittyinaz/pseuds/Kittyinaz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is a prophecy from Neverland: ‘There will be a babe born to the land. He will endure loss and pain that will drive him as none before. But True Love will reveal him to be the one who will lead the realms to peace. His beloved will be hailed as the Savior, and with her at his side, they will bring magic back to all the realms.’</p><p>Killian is that babe.</p><p>Disclaimer for entire fanfic under this page:  Once Upon a Time © Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz, which means we own nothing.   Co-written by Kittyinaz and MissRon80.</p><p>For more information, check out my website: http://kittyinaz.wordpress.com/</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tired of Being Alone

# Tired of Being Alone

 

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/hookdeep.jpg)

**Disclosure:  Once Upon A Time owned by ABC.  Not me.**

**Pre Edit Count -   3, 216 Words**

_Song I listened to for this chapter: Lullaby_ by Nickelback.

* * *

A dark-haired, blue-eyed man is standing tall on his ship; his hook on the wheel guiding the ship as he watches his crew scramble around and getting things to rights for their landfall.

Killian Jones, better known in most realms as Hook, is standing on the Jolly Roger looking out on a world he hasn’t seen in years.  He is thinking of all in his past that has brought him to this time; to fulfill the prophecy of his homeland and to find what at one time he had thought to be ripped away from him.

Six hundred years ago, he had been born into a land of Magic, however because of that same Magic he had been taken outside the land to be brought back at a later time for training.  He had been taken to a land without Magic to protect him from the people who would have raised and used him for their own gains, but he never knew this and thought no-one wanted him when he understood he was adopted.

When he was 10, his adopted family abandoned him and he was brought back to his birth-land.  Again he was abandoned and because of this, he hated adults as in his mind, growing up meant you abandoned people.  Simple logic, but then, he was only a child.   There was no need for him to do anything but be the child he was at that point.  He also refused to grow up, and ended up gathering boys like him that he promptly named the Lost Boys.  The leaders of the land at that time decided that since he was already showing hints of his destiny, they would start to subtly teach him about his future.

Two hundred and sixty-six years later, he left his birth-land again for adventure.  He had been subtly guided to the point he wanted to grow up. They had needed him to leave and age for the prophecy to come about; the prophecy that would save all the worlds.

At that time, he dropped the moniker he had used when he had been in that land and started to use his own; Killian Jones.  He had been taken aboard  _The Revenge_  as a cabin boy and those years had been the best. Killian loved the Captain of the ship as a father, just as the Captain cared for him as his son.  He taught him all he knew on fighting, sailing, and about the world itself.

He had also taught him some lessons, guessing in his own way whom he had.  He never let the ship sail into the Enchanted Forest until he had taught the young man how to defend himself.  He had been mightily impressed with the boys’ intelligence and did everything he could to encourage him to  _think_.  Roberts had added a library to the Captains’ cabin and used it to educate the young lad.

Killian had come across the idea to map out everything they could and those maps were quickly coveted for their use in navigating the magical waters of the realms.  There had never been anyone who had mapped out as much as they had, nor had it be as reliable.  They had many people barter to just be able to glance at them and ended up making a tidy profit using Killian’s skills as a draftsman to copy the maps for a high price.  At this time, Roberts came across one of Killian’s powers, since the maps only lasted as long as the owners bargained for them; not being able to be copied.  He quickly passed around the rumor that he himself was the one who spelled the maps, not wanting anyone to think of taking Killian.

With this in mind, the Captain had Killian make copies of the more sensitive of their books; burning them after making sure that they matched.  There were too many witches and other creatures out there that would do anything for some of those books.

When Killian turned 20, Roberts decided to retire.  He and Killian thought of an idea to allow Killian to continue as Roberts, and let it Roberts fade into the background as Killian’s own reputation grew.  They had started to make the transition when Roberts came across a young man whom they captured.  Finding out that the young man was in love, True Love, Roberts dragged Killian and the young man into his cabin.

The conversation that came about impressed upon Killian the importance of True Love and the job of everyone to help it out.  Roberts also told him that those who tried to stand in the way often came out on the other side dead, if they were lucky.  The magic of the realms would not allow True Love to die. It was too rare and too precious a commodity to allow evil to split it up.

So, with this in mind, Killian agreed to leave the boat, allowing the young man to take his place.  Before leaving, a fairy friend from his past came to tell him that there was a boat waiting for him at the port for King Henry’s Kingdom. The three looked at each other and nodded.  They made the switch and the reputation of the Dread Pirate Roberts came alive again with some help from the fairy as thanks for taking care of Killian.  This gave them the time to be able to train up young Wesley to be able to take over the name.

 [](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/jolly-roger-3.jpg)  


When they sailed into port, there was a boat there that took Killian’s breath away.  It was beautiful and well suited for him.  When they sailed closer they saw the name painted on the bow;  _Jolly Roger_.  Captain Roberts clapped him on the shoulder. “That’s a ship to be proud of my boy.  Let’s get you a crew and transfer your copies over.”

The ship had been made in his homeland and sailed there for his use.  The ship was going to be crucial to Killian’s future and because of where the ship was made, and who its master was, it would be nearly indestructible.  It will, once it’s Master comes into his legacy, be able to sail the seas of any world, plus there was more than a little magic involved with the ship itself. Killian will be the only one who can command the magic.

Killian parted from that stage of his life, knowing that his father was proud of him and with his own fondness for his brother, Wesley. Through the years, he and Wesley had joined forces more than one time and it had been a good time in Killian’s memories of the long years.

Killian spent the next couple of years being the captain of his ship and his future.  There was no port that they wouldn’t go into but secretly, Killian’s heart was breaking for the children of the realms that were being forced into the Ogre Wars.  He himself took on who he could, relocated them to other ports, even giving some of them the choice of becoming a Lost Boy.  It was how he came to find his replacement as their leader.  Tootles was not happy leading them and this made everyone happier as Rufio could actually wield his old sword, which showed his ability to lead.

One day during this period of time, they pulled into a port.  Killian had no shame being a lady’s man; he was a true pirate and had a lady in every port but he treated them all as a gentleman should, which guaranteed upon his return, being welcomed by the lady.  He honored his father and his teachings of True Love this way, guarding his heart for the chance of True Love.  After seeing Wesley so happy he wanted nothing less than that.  However, in this port, he met a fiery woman who captured his attention.  And he thought,  _Maybe…_

So they spent a longer than the usual amount of time docked, loading supplies for a trek across the seas to a destination that Killian had pieced together from his books and maps.  He was looking forward to the adventure of finding new lands and to adding to the map collections of Roberts, Wesley and himself. Once a pirate, always a pirate.

 [](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/killian-and-milah-1.jpg)  


At least that is what he told himself.  In reality, he could not get enough of Milah.  She entranced him like no other woman.  He fell in love with her, and from her own reactions, she fell in love with him.

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/rumpel-and-bae-2.jpg)

Then he was jerked to a halt when a man entered the pub they were in and asked for his wife, Milah. The man’s son followed, calling for his mother.  Killian made a joke of it, but his heart was already breaking.  There was no question that this man loved his wife, and together they had a child.

That night after she had left, Killian made his way to his ship.  He was halted by a hauntingly familiar voice calling his name, “Killian!”

He closed his eyes against the pain in his chest, and then turned to see standing there his love, who was the wife of another man. His eyes glared at her.

Milah stared at him then came forward to stand in front of him.

“Killian, listen to me.  I don’t love him.  I have lost even my respect for him.  He is a coward.”

Shaking his head, he told her, “But love is worth fighting for.  He deserves the chance.”

He truly believes that after hearing Wesley’s story.  You fight for love; it is too precious in the realms to let it go.

Milah stared at him then asked, “Are you willing to fight for it?”

Closing his eyes, Killian sighs. “Yes.” He may be dammed for it, but his own beliefs wouldn’t allow him to let her go if she loved him and wanted to come.

Milah came to him, saying, “I am miserable.  I love you, but am chained to a man I hate.  Do I not deserve a chance, Killian?”

And with that, the fates of so many were sealed.

 [](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/killian-and-rumpel-1.gif)  


The following day, before they left port, the man came on-board and Killian challenged him to fight for Milah, stating, “A man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets.”

When the man didn’t fight for her, Killian comes to conclusion that he must not want her, love her as much as Killian does.

Watching the man, with a heavy heart, Killian did what he needed to get the man off the ship, and to keep the woman he loves.

 [](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/killiam-and-rumpel-1.png)  


Years later, when the Ogre Wars were over, Killian made port in another random village.  As he and his men made merry, he bumped into a man and in that one moment, Killian found himself in a losing position.  There was no one who could stand against the Dark One.  This particular incarnation of the man is the same man who was married to his Milah. And he wants her back.

Killian swallowed, and agreed to meet this man for a duel.  That night, he made arrangements for his crew and the woman he loves.  He also spent a couple of minutes in sad reflection that he will not see his homeland one last time, but he will not back down, since as he stated before, you fight for love.

They met on the  _Jolly Roger_. To his shock, as he is losing the battle to the man that reminds him of a crocodile, Milah stepped forward as the imp has hold of his actual heart.  He was thrown to the side as she confronted the man, trying to get to his feet, but the shock and pain of the Crocodile’s hand in his body was enough to disorientate him for a few minutes.  He finally made it to his feet, ready to rescue Milah. [](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/rumpel-and-milah-3.png)  


Surprising both the Crocodile and Killian, Milah tosses him the bean that she had gotten from a man in a red cap, and he grabbed it out of the air, switching it to his other hand.  Through the argument between his love and her former husband, he was unable to do anything, as though there was something holding him back.  Milah begs forgiveness for leaving the man.  The Crocodile smiled and told her that he forgives her.  Then in front of him, the man reached in and pulled Milah’s heart out of her chest, telling her that he is unable to forgive her for giving up their son. Killian was finally able to move and caught Milah as she fell to the ground. She looked up at him and told Killian, “I love you.”

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/milah-and-hook.jpg)

With that statement, Rumpelstiltskin crushed her heart in his hand.  Killian cried out for the death of the woman he loves, then stood to kill Rumpel.  He stabbed a hook he had picked up into Rumpel’s chest, but the Crocodile laughed.

“Oh dearie, it will take more than that to kill me!”  And with that, he cut off Killian’s hand, then disappeared.

Killian’s crew scrambled out of everywhere, having honored their captain’s request to stay back, but they quickly took care of him.  Once his arm was wrapped, his doctor adding a prosthetic to the end after a few weeks of healing, Killian came out onto the deck of his ship.  The man who had the Bean was there waiting on his displeasure.

The crew had seen the marked change in him, and they worried for him. It seemed as though he had hit the bottom.  He stared out at the man in front of him and demanded his name. They bantered back and forth until Smee agreed to follow him.  It was the last time in two hundred years he will show mercy.

Killian, at that time wanted, no needed, to head to his homeland.  He threw the Bean and told them, that they were headed to Neverland.

* * *

 [](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/jolly-roger-going-to-neverland.jpg)  


When they surfaced, Killian collapsed.  The ship was instantly covered in fairies who came down and took the only man born in Neverland.  They brought him to Tatiana and she tried to heal him, only to find that there was a deep hate in him.  She sighed in defeat and told them to take him back to his ship; that they needed to give him time to get over his loss.

For the next two hundred years, Killian became Hook, a man obsessed with revenge.  He also devoured all the information in Neverland, trying to find a way to defeat the Dark One. The Lost Boys were saddened by the change in the man who used to lead them and after consulting with the Council, Rufio commenced a long battle with him, allowing Hook to release some of his pain, a thank-you to the man who had brought Rufio to Neverland.  Their battles made their way into legends, but Rufio couldn’t help but laugh when they confused him with Peter Pan.  It was somehow fitting for Hook to battle Peter Pan in the legends.

But after two hundred years, the Council came together and summoned him.  When Hook strode into the hall, he stood tall as he stared at the Queen of the Fairies, the Chief of the Indians and the leader of the Lost Boys, as well as the other members of the Council.

The Queen of Fairies looked down at Hook.  Killian was still in there and it was their job to get to him.  He had spent the last 200 years hunting for revenge, and since there was no problem allowing him to vent his frustrations, they allowed it but the time of the Prophecy was approaching and they needed him to be healed and whole for the Prophecy to come to pass.

She sighed, then asked, “Hook, what do you remember of the Prophecy of Neverland?” She was straight to the point.

Standing there, Hook cocked his head to the side, then told them what he remembered from finding the Prophecy in a book that Roberts had in his Library.

“There will be a babe born to the land.  He will endure loss and pain that will drive him as none before.  But True Love will reveal him to be the one who will lead the realms to peace.  His beloved will be hailed as the Savior, and with her at his side, they will bring magic back to all the realms.” He looked up at the Council trying to see what their point was.

Great Big Little Panther nodded to the man below him. “Hook, you are that man.”

Shaking his head, Hook replied, “I lost my Love.  If I am this man, then the Prophecy is false.” He is steadfast in his belief.  It is what drives his need for revenge after all.

Tatiana smiled down at him. “Hook, your True Love has not been born.  Milah was your love but your True Love is coming.  Now, do you want to give up the chance at this True Love for a woman who has died?  Think carefully, and think of what Roberts had taught you.”  This was it.  This was what may bring back Killian to them, leaving Hook behind.

Hook stood there, angry as hell.  Milah was not his True Love?  What did they want him to do, give up his vengeance of her?  Even if she wasn’t his True Love, she was someone he had loved and had her heart ripped out cruelly due to the hate of one man who needed it no more.

Then he remembered what Roberts told him and Wesley.  True Love was worth everything.  It changed people, made them more than they were.  Wesley had suffered greatly and his reward had been well worth it.  Hook stared at the ground and then looking up, he candidly said, “I will not give up the chance of True Love, but at the same time, I will not give up on revenge.  The Dark One has done nothing but cause misery for the realms.  Why can I not get my revenge for what pain he has caused me and the rest of the worlds?” He stared at them, challenging them.

The Chief seemed to think over his words.  Then he asked, “If it came to revenge or True Love, which would you choose?” This was the important part.  They needed him to realize that the choice may come.

Hook seemed taken aback.  He thought for a while then looks to them. “Do you promise that my True Love is coming?” He would give up everything for True Love.

Tatiana smiled, lighting up the room.

“My dear boy, not only do I promise she is coming, but we are wanting to teach you how to recognize it; how to be able to know for yourself when she is here, when she will need you.  There is so much to teach you, Child, that it will take many years.  Are you willing?” She started to glow, her inner happiness showing to everyone.

Hook stared at her, measuring her.  Then he finally nods. “I am.”

 

* * *

**Final count, 3,216 words.**

**Fairfarren~Wendy**


	2. Dreaming of Paradise

# Dreaming of Paradise

**[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/emma-hook.jpg) **

**Disclosure:  Once Upon A Time owned by ABC.  Not me.**

**Pre Edit Count -   5,047 Words**

_Song I listened to for this chapter: Paradise_ by Coldplay.

* * *

_Previous:_

_Then he remembered what Roberts told him and Wesley.  True Love was worth everything.  It changed people, made them more than they were.  Wesley had suffered greatly and his reward had been well worth it.  Hook stared at the ground and then looking up, he candidly said, “I will not give up the chance of True Love, but at the same time, I will not give up on revenge.  The Dark One has done nothing but cause misery for the realms.  Why can I not get my revenge for what pain he has caused me and the rest of the worlds?” He stared at them, challenging them._

_The Chief seemed to think over his words.  Then he asked, “If it came to revenge or True Love, which would you choose?” This was the important part.  They needed him to realize that the choice may come._

_Hook seemed taken aback.  He thought for a while then looks to them. “Do you promise that my True Love is coming?” He would give up everything for True Love._

_Tatiana smiled, lighting up the room._

_“My dear boy, not only do I promise she is coming, but we are wanting to teach you how to recognize it; how to be able to know for yourself when she is here, when she will need you.  There is so much to teach you, Child, that it will take many years.  Are you willing?” She started to glow, her inner happiness showing to everyone._

_Hook stared at her, measuring her.  Then he finally nods. “I am.”_

_Now:_

* * *

For the next 50 years, Killian learned everything he could about True Love and more specifically, his True Love.  He learned how to sense his soul mate; how to use that sense to be able to find her within the Worlds.  He was advised that if she were to travel to a world without Magic, it would be difficult to sense her but he would still be able to feel her emotions as though she were near.  During this time, he also gathered more information on the prophecy and had been shocked to discover what their future held. It appeared that they were to live in Neverland for the remainder of their lives but would venture between the Worlds.  The magic of Neverland was such that if it were considered to be your home, you would always return to it, one way or the other and should you wish to never grow old, Neverland’s magic would do its part in making that desire a reality.  It was the one World that was bordered by all realms and because of this, its history had filtered among them, become legend within all the Worlds.

While he gathered this knowledge, he also learned something astounding; he and his True Love were to be unique; unparalleled.  Each True Love pair was unique in their own right, with a specific trait that was shared between them alone, however all couples shared traits unique to True Love.  Unlike other True Love pairs, Killian and his Love would transcend all others, exceed them.  They alone would share all the gifts that had ever been known to True Love with one unique element; magic.  Killian was amazed to learn that his Love would hold her own distinctive magic and when combined, they would surpass all who had come before them.

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/snow-and-charming-1.png)

As the years rolled by, Killian came to hear about a True Love pair; Snow White and Prince Charming.  Unlike any others he had come by, something about them drew him to them, called to him, and created a yearning within him he had never known before.  Killian found himself studying them, researching them much more thoroughly than he had ever studied a pair before until he learned all he could about their lives and the gift that was born from their love.  Snow and Charming appeared to have an affinity with animals with Snow always singing to and utilizing birds.  Charming, he discovered, had been touched with the gift for animals also.  He added this gift to a book be was compiling on True Love; the first record of it’s kind, detailing the unique gift for each ‘True’ couple, feeling compelled to record and learn all he could.

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/princessbride2.jpg)

Killain’s old friend Wesley seemingly gained immunity to poisons when united with his True Love, but was unwilling to risk his beloved Buttercup to discover if this trait had indeed been shared.  It was a gift that had not been known among the pairs before so Killian was convinced this was indeed their gift.  As with all True Love couples, they were known for their bravery and kindness, for their fearlessness in standing against those who committed wrong-doing but most of all, for the love that was evident between them and inspired others to their cause.

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/rumpel-1.jpg)

While Killain gathered information on these unique couples, he never stopped researching Rumpelstiltskin.  He told the fairies that he believed their story to be far from over and during his research he discovered that when he eventually found his True Love, together they were to take a stand against the Crocodile.  Every being in the Worlds had another who both complimented them and yet was their opposite, making them more than they were, growing them.  Killian was Rumpels’ just as Rumpel was his.  They existed to antagonize one another, making it seem as though neither would ever be defeated, but when Killian’s love eventually came to be at his side, the playing field would become levelled.  Secretly Killian understood and acknowledged that he would be unable to kill the Crocodile, but he swore to spend his life making the other’s a living hell.  True Love, his True Love, is to be the remedy to the Dark One’s power but he can never be defeated entirely.  No, while he can never be destroyed, Killian and his Love would be the ones to keep Rumpel in check, to stand between him and all those he had ever wronged.  They alone would be the pair to bring peace to the realms.

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/tinkerbelle.jpg)

Something Killian had always found surprising was how close he had always been to Tinkerbell, but Tatiana informed him that while Tink would remain close to him for the rest of their lives, she was not HIS fairy. They both wondered at this.  Fairies were rarely born; when they were they had a specific person they were connected to for the duration of that person’s life.  Ninety-nine percent of the time, the person dwelled within Neverland or was brought.  He and Rufio had a laugh at how Tink seemed to be the only fairy for all the Lost Boys in the tales.  If this had been the case, she would have spent all her time making fairy dust to fulfil each of their needs!

And so life was for Killian.  He spent his time researching, learning, gathering knowledge for the days to come so he would be prepared for when his True Love came to him.  Each day blended into the next until one day when sailing the high seas with his crew. They had been tasked with making sure that no other boats had accidently stumbled upon Neverland, when suddenly Killian felt something surge within him.  He fell to his knees, shocked.  Closing his eyes as he felt the surge grow stronger and move through him, his stump began tingling.  A smile ghosted on his face as he stood up and started ordering the crew to be ready for passage through the Worlds.  It was time to begin.

He sent Tinkerbell to tell the council, knowing that she could reach him in the Enchanted Forest, and with that, he set sail for waters he had not seen for almost 300 years.

* * *

When he had arrived, he was shocked with the intrigue going on, as well as this new-found connection not being as clear as he expected, figuring it must be the time difference from Neverland and having travelled through the portals.  He used the time after his arrival to gain more information on Rumpel, finding that he was the root cause of so much of the goings-on.  In fact, the couple that Killian admired above all others seemed to be suffering the most due to Rumpels’ interference.  Nothing had been directed toward them as such; his Rival was too big a coward to stand against True Love.  Instead, while he would appear to be aiding them in their trials, in truth he was the cause of their troubles, setting them up with their enemies only to offer them a solution at the last minute; moving them as though they were pieces on a chess board, setting them up for his ultimate checkmate.

Killian decided that he would need to involve himself, let his alter ego, Hook, become known as he could sense that this was the World his Love would be tied to.  He watched and observed all that was happening and decided his best course of action would be to seemingly work from his own agenda; this would be the easiest way to infiltrate those he would need to get close to.  It was in this way he had felt he could best defend his love should their enemies make a move against her.  His decision made, he forged his way into the Enchanted Wood to make his name known.

Sometime later, a hooded man infiltrated the Dark Palace and was stopped by a guard.  Fighting ensued and the hooded man prevailed, revealing himself to be Hook.  Taking the keys from one of the fallen guards, he opened the door to a nearby cell revealing a beautiful young woman named Belle, the one person who c0uld prove to be The Crocodile’s weakness.  She asked if Hook had been sent to kill her but he replied that he was there to rescue her, sent by “a friend”.  He explained that her father was being attacked by Rumpelstiltskin and must be stopped; asking her about a magical weapon that could finish him.  When Belle was unable to help him, Hook knocked her unconscious and prepared to strike her and as he swung downward, his hook suddenly disappeared.  In the doorway, Regina – The Evil Queen – stood, hook in her hand.  He asked for it back, the Queen refused and stated that she had heard of Hook and knew of whom it was he wished to kill.  She stated that she could help him, but only if he helped her first.  Inviting him to tea, they turned and walked away.  Hook looked back briefly at the poor woman he had struck in the cell and allowed regret to fill him momentarily.  He hated having to assault an innocent but he had needed all in the Enchanted Forest to see that he was one who would do anything for revenge.  Little would they know that while the desire was very real, his true rage, his true thirst for revenge, would be reserved only for those who would hurt his Love.  Right now, he needed to be Hook.

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/killian-and-cora-3.jpg)

After striking a deal with Regina, Hook found himself in another world; his heart in another woman’s grasp.  Sent to kill Cora, Regina’s mother, Hook found himself at the mercy of the woman he had been tasked to destroy.  Revealing that he had been sent by her daughter, Cora seemed hurt by this information and continued to squeeze Hooks heart to torture him.  Hook closed his eyes briefly against the pain and thought of his Love; the only woman who would ever truly hold his heart.   Continuing to interrogate him, Cora revealed it should have been Regina to come and then released Hooks heart.  She then offered him the choice to travel back to the Enchanted Forest with her.  Confused why she would allow this, Cora told him that the curse Regina was preparing to unleash on the realm would erase his memory, erase all knowledge of who he was thus rendering him unable to remember his feud with Rumpelstiltskin.  Feeling a moment of panic, Hook allowed Cora to believe it was his fear of being unable to exact revenge when in truth, he was rendered terrified that he would no longer remember his Love and therefore would never find her.  Agreeing to Cora’s request, Cora asked Hook to get her close to her daughter and in exchange, Hook would be spared from the curse.

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/coras-spell.jpg)

Later, as the curse began to spread throughout the realm, Hook stood beside Cora as she plunged a staff into the ground, causing a magical barrier to shoot into the sky and settle over a portion of the Enchanted Forest, shielding them from the curse.  Revealing that everyone in this corner of the land would be frozen for twenty-eight years until the saviour came to save them, Hook suddenly felt his heart stretch out.  Hook placed a hand over his heart as warmth burst throughout his body; she had arrived!  His True Love was finally in the world!  He had been barely able to keep himself from screaming as he fell to the ground, feeling her being ripped from the world, from his soul.  No!  He had just found her, only just felt her presence in his soul; he could not lose her now!

Searching for the bond, he calmed as he discovered it was still there, weakened, but active nonetheless.  Tink suddenly appeared beside him and revealed she would not have much time.  Using the majority of her magic, Tink was able to shield herself from the effects of the spell Cora cast.  She and she alone would be unaffected by the freezing spell, thus allowing her to move around the bubble freely but she was able to shield Hook’s mind also, basically rendering him asleep for the duration of the curse and would be able to interact with him through his dreams.  She also revealed that a tiny crack had been left open between the Worlds, and it would be through this crack that she would be able to enter his Beloved’s dreams also, preparing her for the day Hook would come.  Smiling, Hook was overwhelmed when his Love’s name was revealed to him and it was with this knowledge that the spell finally took effect and Hook succumbed to a deep sleep.

Throughout the next eighteen years, Tink kept watched over Emma Swan, watching her grow into a beautiful and fiery young woman; the exact sort of woman needed to compliment one Killian Jones.  Hook remained in his slumber but Tink made sure to visit his dreams often, ensuring that he was kept abreast of the happenings of his True Love, but leaving enough for the two of them to talk about, to know each other directly.  In his dreams, Hook lived a life that would have happened should the occupants of the bubble not been frozen.  In his dreams he worked to make sure Cora had no reason to doubt neither his loyalty, nor his thirst for revenge and spent his nights wondering about his Love.  Over the years, Tink had begun to find it more and more difficult to enter Emma’s dreams.  Emma believed herself to old for such ‘imaginary friends’ and so her mind now rejected her fairy friend.

One night, as Hook sat speaking with Tink about his Beloved and how he missed hearing daily updates, he suddenly felt such despair coming through the Bond he immediately sent Tink to her at once, hoping that Emma would allow her friend in.  To her surprise, Tink found that she was able to enter the Other World in her physical form.  Deciding to ponder this new information later, Tink flew immediately to Emma’s side.

When she arrived, Tink found Emma distraught and heart-broken.  Believing she must be dreaming, Emma told her old childhood friend that she was pregnant and the man she thought she loved had abandoned her and left her to take the fall for his crime.   Comforting her, Tink swore her loyalty to Emma, revealing that she was _her_ fairy.  Asking if she trusted her, Tink used her powers to access the child in Emma’s womb.  Searching it’s DNA, Tink began a change that would ultimately alter it to match the one who should have been it’s father.  This was a change that would impact so many.

Tink was mystified as to how Emma had become pregnant in the first place.  Those destined for True Love were only ever able to produce children with their Other Half, as these children were truly born out of love.  Killian had once revealed to Tink that this was due to the fact that True Love’s were only compatible with each other and to bear a child to another would create a trauma that not even magic could undo.  This had been the first time Killian had outwardly acknowledged that while he had loved Milah, she had not been his other half and in fact, could have been no-ones except Rumpel’s.

Tink wondered if perhaps Fate had known she would change the child, or if perhaps the binding magic of True Love had not fully carried over to this other World.  The only other option was that this child would be needed and with Killian unable to help bring this child into the world, Fate stepped in.  With Emma now in a deep restful sleep, Tink made her way back to Hook, her powers all at once fully restored and stronger for having been in the physical presence of the one she was born for but weakened for the intensity she had used them to alter their child.  As she appeared to him once more in his dream, Hook caught her and, holding her carefully and tenderly in his hand, he made his way to his ship.  Once there, he laid Tink carefully on his cabin table then asked, “What happened?”

Tink closed her eyes to centre herself and said, “I found my person, the one I was born for, and it is your True Love.  I was somehow able to physically enter her World and once I was in her presence, I knew.”

Taking a breath she continued, “It is bad Killian, very bad.  Your Love had fallen in love with another and he has abandoned her.  This has damaged her ability to trust”.

Her heart was breaking for her Person and the trauma she was suffering.

Killian sat heavily in his chair.  “How much more can she take until she breaks?  How much more until I can be with her, can heal her?”  He rested his head in his hand as he felt the pain she was feeling through their small bond.

Tink reached up and touched his cheek. “Killian, trust in your Love.  You do what you need to, and the rest will happen.”

He looked into her blue eyes, and nodded.  The heartbreak she saw reflected in his eyes made her keep hidden the knowledge that his Love his with child, a child conceived and to be born away from him.  Knowing this would break him.  _‘Later’_ , she thinks. _‘Later he will be happy when he finds out.’_

Hook continued to keep up with his Love’s life through Tink.  She did not tell him much and he accepted this as she explained that there was nothing he could do for his Beloved at this time and that it would help both he and Emma to get to know once another if they were on equal footing.

Then came the day he felt her rage.  He was brought to his knees, unable to move; her fear, rage and helplessness throughout the day washed over him.  Although still trapped in a dream, he was relieved he had been in his quarters and no one could see him react to something they couldn’t see.  He concentrated on his Love and sent her as much love and calm as he could.  Suddenly he felt magic rush through him and overwhelmed, he blacked out.  When he came to he found himself on the shore he had stood with Cora long ago, and looking up, he found her watching him.

“The curse has been broken.  Now we just need to just work on getting to the other world.”

He nodded as he got up and was resting his head on his hand.  The sudden restarting of time and ending of the Curse was affecting him greatly but he forced himself to hide this from Cora.  He had to be careful.  She was a powerful witch after all.

Cora sighed and then told him, “There is a camp not far from here that I must go to.  Let me know if you hear anything.”

When she left, he called Tink back to him and said, “Tell Tatiana that it is starting.”

* * *

For the next two days, Hook worked on getting ready for his Love, knowing that with the curse now broken, they should be together soon.  All of a sudden he is brought to his knees by feelings of fear and determination and a sudden burst of energy through the Bond.  It was fully alive! His eyes snap open as realisation hits.  “She is here!”

He scrambles to his feet, calling for Tink.

When she blinks into being, he tells her, “She is here!  Tonight I need to be in her dreams.”

His eyes were showing the joy and anticipation he feels for finally being able to be with her, even if only in her dreams.

Grinning back at him, Tink nods then tells him, “I will bring you into her dreams.  Right now, I am going to her and to try to keep her out of trouble.” Knowing her human, this will not be an easy task but she too is excited to be able to be with her human in person once more and not just as a dream figure that Emma confided in as a child. Nodding, Hook begins journeying in the direction the Bond pulls him toward.

After a while he pauses, realizing that she is in the Enchanted Forest and this causes him to worry.  Cora is going to be a bitch as normal but there are also ogres and so many other things that could threaten her.  Hook didn’t want them to be this close to finding each other only to lose her because he wasn’t fast enough.  With that in mind, he started moving quicker until it becomes to dark to see.  He finds himself a safe place to rest as he knows that soon he will be sleeping deeply as he makes the connection to her.

Later that night as he falls asleep, he fades into Emma’s dream. He grins as he looks at himself and sees that he is whole.  He flexes the missing hand and is pleased to feel that it was as though he had never lost it in the first place.  He then looks around and as his eyes fall upon her, she notices him at the same time.  Jumping up, Emma looks up at him.

“Who the hell are you?”

Her heart is beating erratically and her fear is taking control.

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/killian-25.png)

Killian bows in front of her.

“Killian Jones at your service, milady.”  ‘ _Truly, in every single way you or I can imagine…’_

She stares at him distrustfully.  “Why are you here?”

Killian waves his hand and a pair of chairs appears.  He smiles as he asks her, “Will you sit?  I have a lot to tell you and not a lot of time to do it in and knowing what I know, I don’t think you will be receptive if I don’t do this properly.”

He cannot help but feast his eyes on the one person he has waited all this time for.

Emma just watches him, distrust in her eyes.  He sighs.

“Will it harm anything if you sit and listen to me?” ‘ _This might be harder than I thought, but if nothing else, when we are close to each other, our very scents will be enough to make the other give in.  Unless she is as stubborn as Snow was with Charming.”_

Staring at the handsome man in front of her, Emma stiffly sits in the chair nearest to her. He is right; there is no harm her in listening to him.  Besides, she will probably forget all about this dream anyway.

Killian smiles.  He sits down also, crossing his legs and asks, “When you came into this Land, did you feel anything?” He decided to start at the beginning and go from there.

Emma tightens her jaw.  When she fell into this World, she had felt a pulse throughout her body.  It had been that, and not the fall, that made her black out.  Ever since she awoke she’d had this feeling, a pulling that had been insistent, but hadn’t had a chance to ask her mother in private about it.

Watching her, Killian is blown away by the fact that in front of him is the woman who completes him.  She is everything he has ever wanted in a woman in looks; her blue eyes, unlike his, are stormy and reflect her emotions clearly, her blonde hair makes him crave to be able to run his fingers through it. Everything he is seeing makes him yearn for the time they will be passed this awkwardness and uncertainty.

Finally, under the gaze of those dark blue eyes, Emma says to him, “Why do you want to know and why would I trust you?”  The walls she had built around her heart were up and functioning, but…something is trying to get her to trust him, her own gift telling her he is being truthful.  She has trusted this quirk of hers before however and it failed her the most the one time she trusted it the most.

Killian can’t help the sigh of frustration; he will make whoever hurt her this badly pay.  Thinking, he leans forward, clasping his hands in front of him.

“Let me tell you a story.  There was once a babe born into a world.  Nobody knew how, since it was not from parents, not as we know them as.  It was as if the child was born from a wish from the Land itself and the breath of a star.  This child was sent to another world to age, since the child’s homeland was of eternal life.  At this time, a Prophecy was found in the books of the world. ‘There will be a babe born to the land.  He will endure loss and pain that will drive him as none before but True Love will reveal him to be the one who will lead the worlds to peace.  His beloved will be hailed as the Savior, and with her at his side, they will bring magic back’.  This prophecy was not revealed to any but the council members.” He looks into her eyes the entire time, letting her see he is being truthful.

He fidgets with his hands for a second before continuing, “This babe grew up and his adopted parents abandoned him.  He was brought back to his world and allowed to play.  He never aged, but during this time, it was found that he was a natural leader, and ended up bringing others like him to the world to give them the love and companionship that he craved.  He was also taught by the council, preparing him for his departure so that he could grow some more.  He eventually left, wanting adventure, wanting freedom that he felt was critical to his very self.  The Council arranged for him to be a cabin boy with a pirate, feeling this might be a meeting of minds, giving him the adventure and freedom he so craved.  This man became a true father to him.  As he grew, he was trained by his father in war, swordsmanship and how to be a gentleman.  Then a stranger came on board.  This brought an awareness of True Love to the young man.”

Killian flashes a grin at her as he tells her, “The young man gained his own ship and took to sailing the seas of the Worlds.  One night he stumbled across a young woman.  They fell in love and the young man thought this was it; this was True Love.  He then discovered that the woman was married, and he turned to walk away, but the woman convinced him to fight for their love, which frankly, he was willing and eager to do.  Her husband gave up without a fight and he thought that this proved this was True Love.  Many years went by, and they pulled into a port to gather supplies.  It was revealed her husband had become a monster; the Crocodile.  Knowing that he would not survive, the young man made arrangements for his crew to get to safety and for them to take the woman he loved with them.   The following morning, he fought on his own ship, buying time for them to escape.  As the Crocodile reached into his chest to pull out his heart, the woman appeared.  After the two of them sparred with words, the man forgave her for leaving him, then he stepped forward and grabbing her heart from her, he held it in his hand as he told her he didn’t forgive her leaving their son.  And he crushed it as she lay in the man’s arms.”

Emma is staring at the man across from her; her heart tugging at this story. The similarities to her own story and the death of Graham brought a twinge to her heart.

Killian is staring at her also, hoping with everything he is that she is truly listening as he continues.

“The young man was heartbroken and to add to his pain, the Crocodile chopped off his hand and left him there to die.  The man’s loyal crew took him down below and set sail.  Once he was able to move, he took them all to his homeland, vowing vengeance for the death of his True Love.  Once he reached home, after many, many years, it was revealed that it was not his True Love who died; that She was yet to come.  When given the option of living for True Love or dying for revenge, the young man thought it through.  He decided that he would live for True Love, but would still take the chance at revenge should the opportunity arise, citing that it was more than he that had been hurt by the Crocodile.  The Council accepted this and began teaching the young man how to recognize his True Love she comes and many other things.”  He takes a breath and lets it out.  Here was the end of the tale, shortened though it is.  She can corroborate all the details if she wishes, but he wants her to know what has brought him to her at this time.

“Many years later, that young man was surveying the oceans of Neverland when he suddenly felt a pulse.  Recognizing it for what it was, he left Neverland for his chance at True Love, only to find that time moved differently between the Realms and he had arrived too early.  He bided his time, making alliances, doing what needed to be done to be ready for her when one day, this pulse returned, stronger than before. She had been born.  He was brought to his knees by joy, knowing she was finally here but then felt the devastation and loss to his very soul that came with having her ripped away from him.  He spent the next twenty-eight years feeling a shadow of that bond, hoping to have her returned to him, or for a way for him to be brought to her.   Then, today, she came back.”

He leans forward in his chair, waiting for her answer, knowing it will take a great deal of work to get her to believe, and if nothing else, to get close enough to her to take that crucial final step in completing their Bond.

Emma jumps up.  “No!”  She can’t be his… No… Just No.

Killian looks up into her eyes.  “Yes, my love.  You came back into this world and while you are moving, so do I; moving toward you, eager for tonight, knowing we would finally meet.  I have done nothing but work towards this moment for over 600 years.”   With his final statement, he let her see the true him, the truth of his words, the Him, the one that used to be carefree and light and cavorted with his crew.

Emma’s mouth opens in shock as she stutters out, “S-six  **hundred**  years?”  How could anyone wait for somebody for a year, much less that amount of time??  For her???  The one that is thrown away or everyone dies on her?

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/killian-and-emma-at-night.jpg)

He smiles as he stands up and rests his hands on her shoulders.

“Six. Hundred. Years.  I have waited for you for such a long time but nothing in my long life has been as difficult as these last twenty-eight have been;  knowing that you were in pain, and I could not get to you, could not help you; could not even find a way to let you know I was here waiting.  Instead, I was trapped in a deep sleep, living a life that did not truly exist, dealing with a woman who wanted nothing more than to cause her own daughter harm, while I worked with her to get to you.”

He is so close, hating to put all of this on her, but he loves her, has waited so long that he gave himself over to the bond between them the moment he felt it burst back into life.  It hurts to feel the rejection from her.

Emma shakes her head.  “How can I believe this?  This stuff just isn’t real.”

She still doesn’t completely believe; how could she?  She knows in her heart that this is real, but her mind won’t allow her heart to rule her.  The first time she did, she was left alone to deal with somebody else’s crime and pregnant.  The second time, before she was able to do much more than allow him inside her walls, he died in her arms.  The third time was her own son, and even though she had saved him, still, he had died… And now this?

He tips her head up to meet his eyes.  “Oh, love, it is.  Tell me you can’t feel something inside of you yearning for me, that you haven’t felt like something great was just outside your reach, that you were not whole.  All of that?  That was your heart and soul needing me and none of it was your fault; it was mine for not being where you needed me.”  His voice grows soft at the end.  “Please forgive me for failing you, milady.” His eyes beg for her forgiveness, for not being able to be there for her.

Emma closes her eyes against the sheer need she sees in his.

“If you are my True Love, then how did I break the curse by kissing my son?” she challenges him, as she is destined to do for the rest of their lives.

Killian’s eyes widen.  “We have a son?”

A son?  How? Why? His whole world shifts again as he realizes that Emma is no longer the sole being he cares for; they have a son!

Emma’s eyes pop open as she tells him, “ **I**  have a son.”  No one claims her son.  No one.

Killian pulls her into his arms. “No, darling.   **We**  have a son.  As my True Love, your son is mine.  Don’t ask how, I have no answer for you but I believe this to be the magic.   Even if it wasn’t, I treasure everything about you and this would include your son.  Why would you think this to be any different?”

His mind is whirling as he realizes all that is waiting for him.  Not only his True Love, but a son!

Emma just shakes her head and mumbles, “This is too fast.”

No one falls in love this quickly nor do all this man is saying and telling her.  It must be false!

Holding her close, he breathes in her scent he tells her, “Not on my end, love.  Now, take a deep breath and relax.”

His own eyes close as he feels one of the cords that make up the bond between them, tighten.  Only one cord remains unbound and it was either True Love’s kiss or them getting horizontal.  He wouldn’t mind some vertical action or any action she wishes.  In fact he is looking forward to seeing what she knows…

Wanting to fight him, Emma is tempted to revolt, but as she opens her mouth to tell him off, she takes that breath of air that he has been waiting on and her whole body feels like a bell has rung next to it.  She slumps in his arms, unable to keep herself upright.  “H-h-how?”  Her walls shatter and all she can feel is the man holding her up; she can feel how he feels, not only because of her quirk, but because of something so much deeper between them.

Smiling gently, he tells her, “True Love, darling.  I cannot explain it any better.  You’re mine and I am most certainly yours.  I will fight for you; die for you if it came down to it, though I much rather live with you, it being the greatest adventure.  However, with this being True Love, your kiss alone would heal me of anything and mine would do the same; our children included.  Now love, for tonight, let’s just talk.  I told you my life story and nothing is more interesting to me than yours and we will keep doing this until we meet, however love, there is someone in this world that is very dangerous and someone in yours that is also dangerous.”

His eyes go dark as he thinks of the danger the Queen of Hearts and the Crocodile pose.  He will defend what is his, no matter what.

Emma chokes back a laugh as she feels him pick her up and seat them both back in his chair.  “Oh I think there is more than one in my world as dangerous and in this one.  Right now I am tied up and during the day I’m being dragged behind a horse along with my mother.”

Her voice is sarcastic, biting.  She had never been so humiliated in her life as the past day.  Not even when she was in prison.

Killian stiffens.  “What?”

Emma opens her mouth but he puts his finger across it. “No, I heard.  I will be trying to get to you faster knowing this.  Emma, I  _will_  free you.” He promises her; his eyes meeting hers and his mind busy behind them, planning.

She looks into his eyes and whispers, “And get me home to my son?”

This is her one wish, beyond any other.

He nods. “And get  _us_  home to  _our_  son. I promise.”

For now… Later he will bring them both to their real home.

* * *

**Final count: 6, 589 words**

**Fairfarren~ Wendy**


	3. Am I Dreaming?

 

# Am I Dreaming?

**[ ](http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=7Bz4XlRK4kyjRM&tbnid=XeNICr7v6mtAbM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tumblr.com%2Ftagged%2Fkillian%2520jones&ei=KzcQUfz7FYLc9ASt3IHoBw&bvm=bv.41867550,d.eWU&psig=AFQjCNFI4734MVMXNxGml4fnEncmaYoQ_w&ust=1360103584420938) **

**Disclosure:  Once Upon A Time on Wed. by ABC.  Not me.**

**Pre Edit Count -   2,467 Words**

_Song I listened to for this chapter: Thrive_ by Switchfoot.

 

* * *

_Previous:_

_Smiling gently, he tells her, “True Love, darling.  I cannot explain it any better.  You’re mine and I am most certainly yours.  I will fight for you; die for you if it came down to it.  However, with this being True Love, your kiss alone would heal me of anything and mine would do the same; our children included.  Now love, for tonight, let’s just talk.  I told you my life story and nothing is more interesting to me than yours and we will keep doing this until we meet, however love, there is someone in this world that is very dangerous and someone in yours that is also dangerous.”_

_His eyes go dark as he thinks of the danger the Queen of Hearts and the Crocodile pose.  He will defend what is his, no matter what._

_Emma chokes back a laugh as she feels him pick her up and seat them both back in his chair.  “Oh I think there is more than one in my world as dangerous and in this one.  Right now I am tied up and during the day I’m being dragged behind a horse along with my mother.”_

_Her voice is sarcastic, biting.  She had never been so humiliated in her life as the past day.  Not even when she was in prison._

_Killian stiffens.  “What?”_

_Emma opens her mouth but he puts his finger across it. “No, I heard.  I will be trying to get to you faster knowing this.  Emma, I will free you.” He promises her; his eyes meeting hers and his mind busy behind them, planning._

_She looks into his eyes and whispers, “And get me home to **my** son?”_

_This is her one wish, beyond any other._

_He nods. “And get us home to **our**  son. I promise.”_

_For now… Later he will bring them both to their real home._

_Now:_

 

* * *

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/killian-emma-10.gif)

Killian holds his Beloved in his arms; relishing in the feel of her here with him, committing to memory everything he can in the short time they have together, but remembering the time constraints, he sighs and wishes for the thousandth time that night that she were truly in his arms at last.  Having waited for her for six hundred years he is impatient to know her, but not willing to risk her safety or her heart due to his anxiousness, he is willing to wait.  His hands memorize the feel of her, the weight of her, the way they recognize her even though this is the first time they have touched her and it takes all the will power he possesses to keep his hands from wandering.  Breathing deeply he memorizes her scent which is a strange combination of sunlight and the moon and a hint of spice; all things he has loved throughout his long life.  As he holds her he realizes that if this were the only moment they were to ever have together, it would be enough but he is joyful to know this will be the first of many.

As Killian is relishing this time together, Emma’s thoughts take her in a slightly different direction.  For the first time in her life she feels safe, loved and dare she think it, whole.  She cannot explain this feeling of completeness she is getting from being in his arms but she can’t deny that this is the only time she can recall that the constant ache she felt in her heart has gone.  For as long as she could remember she had always felt as though something were missing from her, something important and crucial to her very being but she was never able to pin point what it was.  For a time Emma believed it to be feelings of abandonment or from not knowing who her parents were but somehow she knew this was not the case.  Throughout her life there had been times she felt a pulling in her chest, a yearning to wander, to explore, to find the thing that would make the feeling go away and if she were honest with herself, was most likely the true cause of her rebellion throughout her youth.  There were times when she were a child and dreamed of her imaginary friend that the feeling would intensify but never in a painful way; simply as though the connection between her and whatever was causing her ache was being bridged and the connection made more complete.  If she were willing to admit it to herself, it was the same feeling she had felt from the moment she arrived in this weird place and had stopped the moment her dream began, being replaced by a comforting and satisfying hum.  She cannot deny that there is something about this man that makes her feel the way she’s feeling, but she knows it will take time for her to heal completely, to have the bruises and wounds of her past healed from her heart and more importantly, for her to trust again.  For now, she will focus on getting home to her son and in time she will address these new feelings.  In the meantime, she will allow herself this moment in time to truly relax for the first time.

Looking down into her eyes, Killian tells her softly.  “I know, lass, I know.  We have a great many number of things to talk about.   For now the most important to me is if you know who has you??”

Curling up in his lap, Emma shrugs. “I think it is someone named Mulan and some Princess What-So-Ever, but the one who actually captured and is keeping us a detained is Mulan.”

His hand rubbing her back gently, Killian nods.  Mulan is known to him.  She is part of the camp that Cora had been deceiving in his dreams, the same camp she set out for once the curse was lifted.  Perhaps those dreams were more real than he realized.

“Mulan is actually not that bad a person to be captured by.  She is honorable and will bring you to the camp that holds the survivors to this land.  I need to warn you though; the Queen of Hearts is truly in charge of the camp. She is the definition of evil.”   He leans his head on Emma’s shoulder, remembering the years he spent allowing Cora to believe he was in her service.  “Love, there is too much to warn you of and not enough time.  I need to get to you.  Once I do however, there is much that we need to keep hidden.”  The pain is evident in his voice.

Emma leans her head against his and allows herself a moment to be comforted by his warmth.  Avoiding his gaze she says quietly, “I am sorry.  This is normal for me and my fucked up life.  If I were you, I would stay away.”

Chuckling into her shoulder Killian turns his head and captures her eyes with his own vivid blue ones.

“Stay away?  I could no more stay away from you than rip the stars from the sky.  You are my Promise, my Beloved, and my True Love.  You are the one I have waited for all these years and have spent all my time preparing for.  There are things in my past I am ashamed of but they were necessary to becoming who I am.”  Killian pauses, looking for any sign that she will run from him, deny him and deny his feelings.  Seeing none he continues, “As for your “fucked up life” as you call it, darling, you did hear my life story earlier, right?  I was born without parents, I have a vendetta against the Dark One, the most powerful force for evil in all the realms and I just spent 28 years living a life that only existed in my dreams.  Heck, I don’t even have a hand! ”

Frowning, Emma pulls back slightly and gently traces her finger tips across his palm as she asks, “So how is it you have one here?”

“Dreams, Emma my love.  Everything is possible in dreams.  I would not be shocked that when we finally meet in the real world, a miracle should occur.  With everything I have learned about us over the years it will not surprise me at all.  Now, back to the subject at hand…”

Grinning at his own pun, he arranges her on his lap so he is able to look into her eyes more fully. “No one can know about my birth.  That information alone foretells of the prophecy and every source of evil in the Realms has been trying to discover the ones the prophecy speaks of.   Learning this information will begin a chain of events we are not yet ready for.”  When he sees that she is taking this all in he continues, “You are being led to a refugee camp; a camp that holds the citizens of this realm that were able to escape the Curse.   At this camp is a woman named Cora, known as the Queen of Hearts, but she has hidden her identity from all who have met her.  Do NOT say anything about me.  For the last 28 years I have worked carefully to make it appear as though I am in alliance with her; nothing could be further from the truth.  I hate it but it was necessary as it was the only way I could think of to find you, to get to you.  Now, I am using my place as her follower to keep abreast of her plans.”  He shakes his head in an attempt to rid himself of the memories of the things he has done in his time as her slave, when he was Hook and required that vengeance be his goal, though he knows that everything he has done has facilitated him being where is now; holding his Beloved in his arms.

Grinning widely, Emma says, “So the guy who is supposed to be my True Love is working for the other side?”

Killian laughs at this unexpected display of humour from his Love.  “No. Never!” He pauses.  “Well, ok, I guess I am, but I rather call it intelligence gathering behind enemy lines.”

Emma’s laughter rings through the forest.

Reveling in the sound and the feelings of mirth through their Bond, Killian grins.  “However, for now, why don’t we agree to ‘work against’ each other?”  He wiggles his eyebrows playfully.  His expression turning serious, his eyes begin to smolder and grow dark as he looks upon his Love.  “When I can kiss you, when it won’t give everything away, I will be laying one on ye, lass.”

Her breath hitches from the pure sex dripping from every word.

“Why does it have to wait until then?”

Searching her face, he tells her, “Because it will be our first kiss, Lover. And I intend for it to be memorable.”

Dumbstruck, Emma just stares at him.

Killian allows a few minutes to pass to allow her to work through whatever it is on her mind.  When he senses she is ready, he continues, “Will you tell me about your life, Love?”

The moment the words leave his mouth, he regrets asking the question as he can feel her body physically tense beneath his touch and the bond stretches tightly from the tension coming from his Love.  Hating feeling her withdraw from him, he holds her close to him and he murmurs softly into her ear, “I’m here Emma and I will be here for the rest of our lives.  I simply wish to know my Beloved more intimately and to know what she has gone through in her life.  I am more than willing to fill in any blanks you may have in regards to my life and history.”  He winces from the pain of memories.  “Though you may not want to know about the time from before I was aware that you were coming…”

Emma just shakes her head.  “I guess I cannot hold it against you since I had my own relationship before meeting my supposed True Love.”

Staring at her for a few moments, he fights the feelings of anger and rage building inside of him.  “When I meet the person that put that doubt in your eyes, made you distrustful, I promise you I will be making sure that they **will not** be doing it again.”

Emma looks away before retorting; a slight hint of anger in her voice, “Well some of us were thrown away when we were born, not even having the excuse of no birth parents; just parents you believed abandoned you at birth.  Then, you’re put into a system that takes everything from you and once you get away from that system, you find someone you think cares about you, fall in love only to have that person set you up to take the fall for a crime he committed which leaves you in prison, alone once more and pregnant with his child.  Then, right when you start to open up to someone, let down the walls you carefully built to protect your heart from the world, he dies, simply because he got close to you.  So tell me, at which point in that story exactly do you see me learning to trust anyone?”

Grabbing Emma by the shoulders he holds her away from him slightly so he can look her fully in the eyes.  Angrily, he demands, “What the bloody hell is this?  You were thrown away?  Didn’t you just tell me you are being dragged behind a horse along with your mother?”

Crossing her arms, Emma stares Killian down as she answers defensively, “According to “Pinocchio”, my parents are Prince Charming and Snow White.  To protect me from the curse, they sent me through a wardrobe and instead of finding myself in Narnia and meeting Mr. Tumnus, I landed in a world without magic and no-one but a six year old child as my only protector.  I grew up being told I was left on the side of the road, thrown out with the refuse.”

Picking her up and placing her in his chair, Killian starts pacing angrily, his face twisted in rage.

“Bloody hell!  What were they thinking, sending you alone with just a wooden boy as a protector?  I should have fought harder to get to you.  I should have found a way to delay the curse or at the very least bring you inside the bubble.   I would rather have taken you to Neverland until the curse was broken and then brought back to the forest to grow.  I’d have rather waited longer for you than to have had you experience all that pain. When I get my hands on whoever came up with that idiotic plan…”

Emma watches him with her mouth open.  She has never had anyone get this angry over her past before; not even Snow or Charming had reacted like this when they regained their memory, but this literal stranger, this man, comes into her dreams and tells her he is her True Love, that he has been basically waiting for her for over 600 years, has a vendetta against Gold and **he**  is consumed with rage over her childhood?

Still pacing, unaware that his eyes are literally glowing with his fury, Killian thinks that he would give anything to have the ability to go back in time.  He is not kidding.  He would have taken Emma away from them all, taken her to Neverland to wait out the curse and then bring her back only when it was safe and she could age.  She would have been happy; he would have seen to it.

Finding her voice, Emma tentatively states, “The curse wouldn’t have ended if I hadn’t been there.”

He swings around to her and arching an eyebrow, asks, “What?”

 

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/true-love-kiss-1.jpg)

Swallowing, Emma tells him, “I broke the curse.  Regina, who I guess is the Evil Queen, made a turnover for me to eat using a poison apple.  Instead, Henry, my, _our_ …” She shakes her head, “ _My_  son, ate it to prove he was right about it all being a curse and that magic is real.”  A tear falls down her cheek. “He was dying.  I went to Gold who told me he couldn’t cure him but gave me Charming’s sword and had me fight a dragon in the basement of the town hall for a potion he made from True Love.  Only he stole it by tying up Regina, who is Henry’s adoptive mother and who was helping me.  When we got back to the hospital we thought Henry had died and I felt so angry at myself for not believing him. I kissed him goodbye and suddenly he woke up saying it was True Love.  That kiss broke the curse, but Gold then brought Magic into the World.”

It was now Killian’s turn to blink at her slowly.  His mind running over everything she just told him, he finally asks, “So, to make sure I have this right… Our son is the Evil Queen’s son also.  And Gold is some bastard that told you that he could help you, but instead stole the cure, only to have you share True Love’s kiss with our son, breaking the curse.  Emma, what the hell is up with your home?”

His hands are clenching and unclenching in anger; fury written across his features.  His son had been poisoned!  And it was only because of the love Emma had for him that the curse was able to be broken?  Killian is becoming more and more resolved that he will be doing everything in his power to get them home to their son and will take care of those that even thought to hurt either of them.  He is not one of the most feared pirates for nothing.

Emma nods, her eyes filling with tears because of how much she had failed Henry by not really believing him.

 

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/emma-sad.jpg)

Not being able to stand her tears, Killian moves toward her and falls to his knees at her feet and draws her face close to him.

“Now, now my love, I am here and we will take care of everything together.  I will rain hell down upon all those who have ever treated the two of you unfairly.”  His eyes are still glowing with his rage, but his hands are gentle with Emma.

Emma shakes her head. “Killian, I took care of it.  I don’t need someone to come along and sweep me off my feet, rescuing me like I’m some damsel in distress.  My parents might be characters in some fairy-tale but my life certainly hasn’t been one! I have survived the last 28 years on my own and I plan on protecting myself and my son for as long as I need to.”

Looking into her eyes, he stares at her, his hands gently cupping her face as he tells her, “And I am not looking to take away your independence.  Bloody hell, Love, I wish to encourage it!  But I will not allow you to deny me, the man who loves you and loves our son, my revenge on those who have wronged you!  Would you allow yourself to be denied your vengeance on anyone who hurt Henry?”

Opening her mouth to speak, she shakes her head but before she can say anything, Killian continues, “I have known of you for a hundred years.  I felt our Bond burst to life the moment you were born and felt echoes of it from the moment you were conceived!  I have had 28 years trapped inside my dreams plus the time difference between the realms when I travelled from Neverland to here to get used to the idea of you. Everything I have done, everything I have learned and dreamed and wished was so I could be with you.”  He chuckles.  “I even learned how to enter your dreams because I could not allow myself to be parted from you even one day longer.  I will give you all the time you need to come to terms with everything you have learned tonight however unfortunately for you, but fortunately for me,  the mystery that is True Love will work to bring us together.  I will never hurt you. In fact, it is impossible for me to do so.  I am literally incapable of harming you.”  Pausing, Killian rubs the pads of his thumbs along Emma’s cheekbones. “ So, accept that I love you, accept that I love Henry and accept that I will react toward our son the same way you would.  Furthermore, accept I will react this way when it comes to you also.”

Emma tilts her head to the side watching him as she uses her little quirk to test the truthfulness of his words and is shocked to discover no deception in him.  It is hard for her to wrap her mind around the fact that this man has loved her for her entire life; longer even! As he has stated, however, he has and he will give her the time to care for him and if she is being truthful with herself, (and if you can’t be truthful in your dreams, where else can you be?), she can already feel herself beginning to care for him.

He is purely and simply, filled with animal magnetism.  Those dark eyes, so blue they appear almost black at times, are truly the mirrors to his soul; reflecting every emotion he feels as he has them.  Then there is the accent and his voice, which to be honest with herself once more, do things to her body she has never felt before.  His body, his walk, his mannerism are the definition of male sexuality and she has to admit that the whole package that is Killian Jones is more than appealing to her.

It is what is inside the package that is becoming most attractive to her however.  There is absolutely no question in her mind that he is attracted to her, more than attracted and knowing that this man in front of her is dedicated to her, and to her son, whom he has never even seen, blows her mind.  What she had with Graham can in no way compare with what she is already feeling for this man holding her and Neal is the closest she has ever come to love and she knows now that was puppy love when compared to what Killian feels for her.

 

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/snow-charming.gif)

She would be lying if she denied seeing the Love between the two people who turned out to be her parents.  All through Regina’s manipulations and schemes they fought to be together, unable to deny the feelings they had for one another.  Charming when known as David was nowhere near as strong as Snow was, but still he loved her and gave up the life he knew, the life he thought he wanted in order to be with her, even in the face of ridicule and scorn from the town.  Perhaps their love in the ‘real world’ did not play out as love should but even as confused as he was, he still loved Snow and only her.

What woman wouldn’t want a man to fight for her that way?

Killian watches her face, committing to memory every flicker, every twitch, every expression in order to learn to read her thoughts.  She is an open book to him, but then he has never read any book as avidly as he is reading her now and he will do everything in his power to woo her the way his True Love deserves to be.  Even if she were not his, even if she were destined for another, he would treat her like the Queen he knows her to be.  This woman is his, his other half and he will make sure she knows it for the rest of their lives; every second of every day, for the rest of eternity.

Emma finally comes out from her own inner monologue to find those blue eyes she is growing to love trained on her with a startling depth to them.  Sighing, she finally says, “Ok.”

He smiles, drops his hands to hers and raises them to his mouth, never taking his eyes off her.  Kissing them with all the tenderness he is feeling he says,  “Thank you, Emma, my love.  You will not regret it”

Hating to ruin the moment, Killian once more leans his head forward to rest on hers and sighs, “It is almost morning and we will be waking soon.”

Nodding, Emma revels in the feeling of him so close to her once more and says, “I guess we should make good use of the time we have left then.”  She smirks as Killian’s eyes twinkle in mischief.

“Oh, that we will My Love.  That we will”.

 

* * *

**Final count: 4, 189 words**

**Fairfarren~ Wendy & Sharon**


	4. When I See Your Smile

# When I See Your Smile

**[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/jolly-roger-4.jpg) **

**Disclosure:  Once Upon A Time owned by ABC.  Not me.**

**Pre Edit Count -   2,737 Words**

_Song I listened to for this chapter: Your Guardian Angel_ by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

* * *

_Previous:_

_What woman wouldn’t want a man to fight for her that way?_

_Killian watches her face, committing to memory every flicker, every twitch, every expression in order to learn to read her thoughts.  She is an open book to him, but then he has never read any book as avidly as he is reading her now and he will do everything in his power to woo her the way his True Love deserves to be.  Even if she were not his, even if she were destined for another, he would treat her like the Queen he knows her to be.  This woman is his, his other half and he will make sure she knows it for the rest of their lives; every second of every day, for the rest of eternity._

_Emma finally comes out from her own inner monologue to find those blue eyes she is growing to love trained on her with a startling depth to them.  Sighing, she finally says, “Ok.”_

_He smiles, drops his hands to hers and raises them to his mouth, never taking his eyes off her.  Kissing them with all the tenderness he is feeling he says, “Thank you, Emma, my love.  You will not regret it”_

_Hating to ruin the moment, Killian once more leans his head forward to rest on hers and sighs, “It is almost morning and we will be waking soon.”_

_Nodding, Emma revels in the feeling of him so close to her once more and says, “I guess we should make good use of the time we have left then.”  She smirks as Killian’s eyes twinkle in mischief._

_“Oh, that we will My Love.  That we will”._

_Now:_

* * *

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/mqdefault.jpg)

Pausing a moment to enjoy the teasing between them, Killian sighs as he mutters to himself, “We need a bloody list”

Emma lifts an eyebrow at his comment.  “List?”

He grins at her once more and this time she takes the time to really look at the man holding her in his arms.  Within his gaze she can see an innocence that she has never witnessed before; the eternal boy of legend in his looks and eyes and she finds herself truly believing that this man was once Peter Pan.

“Yes, my love; a list.  We need a list of who is who and what is what for each of our lives.  A list of who means what to us, and I have an idea you have many more on that list than even you realize.  Emma, darling, we need to communicate.  I don’t think there is much time left to your night if Mulan is in charge.  She will push hard to reach camp.  I will work as hard as I can to get to you, but, you need to prepare yourself in case I don’t.  Do what you need to survive.  I  _will_  get to you, and once I do, we will need to act like we don’t know each other until I can determine if it’s safe.”

He looks deeply into her eyes and then his face softens, “Darling, I’m so sorry it has to be this way.  I would rather announce to the worlds that you are mine, my very own miracle; instead I need you to be safe and this is the only way I can determine it.  By you not letting anyone know about us, you are saving us.  The prophecy is so particular it won’t take much to give us away and we don’t need that, sweetheart.”

Emma stares into his eyes, unconsciously searching as she always does for the truth of a person’s words, then frowns as she realizes that the game is up for him no matter what; for them both.

“Killian, I’m the Savior.  There was already a prophecy about me and I fulfilled it.  I was named the Savior to break the curse.  It must be someone else for you.”

Her heart hurts as she realizes that had to be it.  That explained it.  This man, this beautiful man in front of her doesn’t deserve someone as broken as she is.  He deserves someone with a fire to match his own, who has love to give him freely and without reservation and one who belongs by the side of a legend.  She must not be The One for him after all.  He has to be mistaken.

Staring at her, Killian can see the sadness flit across her face before settling into resignation as she comes to some sort of conclusion; one that is causing her pain.  He reverently takes hold of her face in both his hands and, tilting it upward so he can stare into her eyes, he tells her, “No, darling!  What ever it is you are thinking you are wrong.  You ARE the Savior and my True Love; my whole heart.  Please don’t throw that away because you think so little of yourself.  I am here for you always, by your side, will be there through it all.  Emma, stop finding reasons for me not to be your True Love.  I know you have had people not live up to your expectations but please, I implore you, give me that one more chance.”  From the little he has heard from her, he has reached the conclusion that everyone has left her and now, she fights for their son because he will never leave her; not of his own volition.

Emma shakes her head, trying to pull herself free from his grasp; his searing gaze.

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/emma-crying.png)

“No!  Everyone leaves!  My parents, August, Neal, Graham… Henry will leave me eventually but until then I will do everything I can to be by his side and to keep him with me.  I can’t let my heart be trampled on any-more   Every time I let someone in, they leave me!”  Wracking sobs begin to shake her body as she breaks down in his arms.  Turning inward, her mind begins flipping through the list of everyone who has left on a continuous loop, name after name, image after image flashes through her mind as she begins to dissolve into panic.  Almost incoherent with grief, she begins mumbling once more,   “My parents left me, August left me, Graham left me, Neal left me. Everyone leaves me.  Everyone.  Not good enough.  No-one……..”

Pulling her more tightly to his chest, Killian allows his fragile mate to sob in his arms, suspecting this is the first time she has ever truly allowed herself to show, or to even feel, such emotion.  For long minutes he simply rocks her slowly in his arms, not speaking, allowing her to feel and think as she needs while he himself attempts to control the rage building inside of him for the damage done to his Love.

Shortly after, Emma’s sobs subside as she forces her mind back to the here and now.  Mortified by her uncharacteristic emotional display, she attempts to pull away but Killian won’t have any of that, simply locking her in his embrace as he gazes upon her tear-streaked face.  Taking a shuddering breath of finality, Emma allows herself to look Killian in the eye as she voices the decision she has reached.

“I will work with you.  I will allow you to help guide me in this strange world but anything more….  I just can’t….”  Dissolving into tears once more, Emma looks directly into his eyes, beseeching him to understand.

One again pulling her to his chest, he tucks her head under his chin as he murmurs, “Oh, my beautiful girl, what have we done to you?”  He strokes her back softly as she silently cries in his arms.  Taking this moment while she has her guard down, he softly drops kisses on her head.

As she becomes quiet once more, Killian simply continues to hold her, rocking her.  “Darling, as hard as this bond between us is to grasp, you must understand that the two of us are bound closer than any other two have ever been.  You can use me, abuse me, yell and scream at me and I will simply stand there and take it all, waiting for you.  Nothing can cause me to betray, nor to leave you.  I will do whatever is necessary to get you to understand this.  I.  Am.  Here.  For.  You.  No matter what.”

Her eyes remain closed as Emma breathes in his scent, this man who confuses her, making her feel as though everything will be alright when history has taught her that everyone will let her down.  She whispers against his chest softly, “I want to let you in, I do.  Every instinct I have is telling me you are telling me the truth and that you truly will stick around, but my head is screaming at me, reminding me that no-one else who has ever promised to stay, has.  If they did stay, they were taken from me.  I don’t want that for you…”

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/killian-smile.jpg)

Killian loosens his grip on her minutely as he allows her space to look in his eyes once more.  “I won’t be going anywhere, Love.  If you think you have lost me, you just have to ask, or kiss me.”  He smirks, “I daresay that a kiss from you, Beloved, will be the highlight of any man’s life, or was.  There will be no more kissing of anyone from now on that is not family!” He gently chides her.

Raising an eyebrow at his proclamation, Emma can’t help but to smirk.  Unable to contain the small amount of joy bubbling up inside of her, she laughs brightly, causing Killians heart to constrict at the beauty of it.  Closing her eyes, she rests her forehead against Killians chin; enjoying the feel of his stubble against her sensitive skin.  Sighing deeply, she feels the fight go out of her.  She knows is will return later but for now she will allow herself this moment to believe.  This _is_ just a dream after all.  Emma is exhausted, unsure of what is to come next, and Killian himself is exhausting.  The emotions she feels coming from him, the ones directed at her, are heady, powerful, so all-consuming that she realises he is absolutely determined when it comes to her.  He steadfastly believes she is it for him.

She mutters into his neck, “How are you so sure?”  She cannot help but to question him, it is in her nature, and little does she know that this side of her excites Killian as nothing else.  A headstrong, stubborn, fiery woman who is as beautiful as she is brave?  Killian cannot believe his luck.

He chuckles, the sound vibrating his chest. “I just told you I spent a very long time learning all I could about True Love.  Plus, if you had been there in Neverland the second I felt you…”  His gaze becomes dark as he remembers, “It made me fall to my knees.  It was one of the best feelings I had ever felt…  Until I held you in my arms tonight.  Darling, you never forget nor mistake something like that.  I know you experienced the same; however you would not remember the initial bond as you were literally a babe in arms, but when you reached this land you felt it didn’t you, my Swan?”

Seeing his imploring look, she sighs, mostly because she can tell that he is once again being truthful with her but also because she feels she needs to be truthful with him also.  Steeling herself she admits, “Yes.  As soon as we arrived here I felt this all-consuming rush through every part of me.  It’s what knocked me out and allowed Mulan to capture us.”

Shaking his head at her, he bestows another kiss on her hair. “Nothing is easy for you, is it Love?  Now, what did I tell you about who to watch out for?”

Looking him squarely in the eyes, Emma goes into business mode.  This she can do!  Reiterating his earlier warnings she says, “That Cora is evil and cannot know about us under any circumstance; that no one can.  Mulan is honorable, which I am still finding questionable by the way, and she is going to take us to the camps where Cora lives and secretly leads them”.

Smiling at her, Killian grins. “See? Not too hard, right?”

Rolling her eyes, she says, “No, nothing too hard.”  Pausing, Emma falters for a moment.  Chewing on her bottom lip she decides to ask the question that has been bothering her this whole time.  “Tell me, how are you getting into my dreams? Why haven’t you done so before?”

His smile wanes  as he painfully remembers all the years he had yearned to be with her, to join Tink in her dreams. “Your fairy is my best friend.  She is the one who grants me the wish to see you, to warn you.   She was unable to allow me access before as we were not in the same world.  Even her powers have limits.  Once we have both submitted to the bond between us however… Once you do that, nothing will separate us and we can reach other in many different ways; in many different worlds.” Killian cannot help his smirk as he tells her, “Once we are completely Bonded, darling, there is so much more open to us.  I can show you that I’ll be the one.  Your only one.”

Emma looks away and gazes off into the distance before finally saying, “Killian, I don’t see how this is going to work.  I live in my world, one where magic only exists in the tiny town I live.  I have responsibilities, a job. My parents live there as well as my son.  I have, for the first time in my life, friends.  It may not be a perfect world but it’s the only one I know and I may have been dealt a shitty hand but I’m quite fond of it all; now.  Not that I would admit to that if this wasn’t a dream but that’s just it; this is just a dream.  Nothing that happens here is real”.  She blinks away the tears that are threatening to form again.

Sighing as he takes her face in his hands again, he wipes the few tears that managed to escape with his thumbs.  “Darling, I can’t seem to stop saying this but it just hasn’t ceased to be true.  We really have done a number on you, haven’t we?  I WILL prove myself to you though.  In fact, I think this could prove to be most interesting; me, trying to woo you while also having to act as though I have no idea who you are.  This will certainly test my acting skills.  You have to admit, this will be quite the challenge?”  He ducks his head down to look into her eyes better and waggles his eyebrows.

She smirks as his attempt to tease her.  “I guess we’ll just have to see what happens.”

Grinning, Killian leans forward and kisses her forehead.  “Just promise me, my Swan, that you will not say anything about us.  It is not the best way to protect you but until I can be with you, it is the best I can come up with.  Until then, Tink will be my substitute.”

A wry smile forms on her lips as Emma answers, “I am not sure what a small fairy that used to appear in my dreams as a child will be able to do.”

At this, Killian cannot help the laugh that bursts from his lips.  “She can do more for you than you can ever imagine.  She wasn’t even my fairy and she was still able to keep me out of trouble… for the most part.  For her human though?  She can move moons.  Trust in her.  She is the one that watched over you for most of your childhood.  She is devoted to you, though I will warn you; she is just as eager for us to be together as I am.  She thinks that you are perfect for me.”

Eyebrow arched, Emma snarks, “Great.  Another person jumping on the True Love Bandwagon.”

Killian just snuggles her closer to him and rests his head on hers again, relaxing as he takes in her unique scent.  “Soon enough, Darling.  Soon enough.”

Emma closes her eyes and allows herself to relax against him, feeling all of the fight go out of her.  She figures that she might as well enjoy her dream for as long as she can before she has to wake up and let reality take over.

Suddenly, before Killian is ready to let her go, or more shocking, before Emma wants to go, she disappears from his arms.  Feeling the weight of her still between them, he brings his arms around himself as he sighs.  Looking around, Killian sits and soon, he too fades away.

* * *

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/horses-ouat0202hd-3027.jpg)

After being unceremoniously woken with a kick, Emma and Snow now find themselves being dragged behind Mulan’s horse, much the same as the previous day.  Having glared at Mulan for her terrible impersonation of an alarm clock, a glance from her mother had stopped Emma from mouthing off, realising they weren’t exactly in the best position at present.

As the two trudge along behind their captor’s, they discover that if they keep the rope a little taut, Mulan will keep them at a steady pace.  If they allow the rope to slacken in any way, she spurs the horses on faster.  It is hard going on their wrists but nothing can be done about it at the moment.

The group steadily make their way to a large body of water that has logs washed up all around it.  Princess Whoever is in front of them, looking around in a manner one could only describe as ‘regally’, as she rides in the direction Mulan indicated.

Swan finds herself thinking about her dream often.  She has had many dreams before that had felt real but this one…  Everything about it, right down to the smell of the tree, to the feel of the man’s stubble, to the way she could _feel_ his emotions as though they were her own; never before has she felt such a connection to anyone as she has to this Killian.  For the first time in her life, she has felt what it was like to be whole.  That yearning need inside of her to find whatever it is she lacks had been gone and for a few brief moments she allows herself to become lost in the memory of it all.  Stumbling over a rock, Emma shakes her head to clear her mind and reminds herself once more that it was just a dream.

Snow glances at her as Emma stumbles for the umpteenth time that day, instinctively watching to see if her daughter has caused harm to herself.  Noticing her gaze, Emma simply nods to her mother to let her know that she is ok.  Taking in her surroundings as she walks, Emma realises it’s probably not the smartest thing to allow her focus to be split, for if she is to remember the way back, she needs to be observant.

Soon, they slow to a halt and as they have learned, both Emma and Snow keep the rope taut.  This time however, Snow speaks up and asks, “What is this place?”

Mulan doesn’t even acknowledge them with a glance, simply answering, “Our home.”  With her pronouncement, she kicks her horse and jerks Emma and Snow into following.

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/camp.jpg)

The unlikely group make their way across the small part of land that is jutting out and once they reach the outcrop of land, Mulan allows them to rest as she unbinds them from her horse.  Soon, when they are no longer breathing so hard, she forces Emma and Snow in front of her with her drawn sword to make her meaning obvious.  Walking steadily along where Mulan directed, they round a bend in the road and stumble on to a small camp.  The people gathered there spot them quickly and either run for cover or grab weapons.

Unable to believe her eyes, Emma blurts out, “It’s like they’re refugees!”

Mulan hands the reins of the pack horse to one of the people who came forward and snaps as she hands over the care of her own beast, “We’re survivors.”

Looking cautiously around them, Snow and Emma walk forward with Aurora close behind them.  Once Emma is a little ways in front of her, Snow kicks Aurora and yells, “Emma, run!”

Mulan, acting on instinct, grabs a bolo and quickly whirls it over her head and gets it spinning.  Aiming at Snow, she lets it fly and knocks her off her feet.  Emma looks back and seeing her friend, her mother, fall, she runs back screaming, “Mary Margaret!”

Rushing to her mothers side, Emma’s voice breaks as she demands of Mulan, “What did you _do_?”

Not even bothering to answer, Mulan simply glares at the pair and commands the men around her, “Take them to the Pit.”

As one grabs Snow at her bound wrists and drags her off, another makes a grab for Emma and pulls her away from her mother.  Protesting feebly as the events of the past few days catch up to her, she simply says, “No”.

Realizing that they are taking her away to be locked up again, her fight suddenly returns and she starts struggling with the hands holding her.  She soon finds however that they have her overwhelmed.  Before she knows it, she is thrown through a door hard enough to make her grunt but moments later, a guard throws Snow in the Pit also, Emma running to her side, pleads, “Be careful! Oh!!! Be careful!”, as she crouches beside her mother.  She pleads with the unconscious Mary Margaret, “Hey, come on.  Wake up!”

Falling to her knees she shakes her again, “Can you hear me?”

Suddenly, a voice comes out the darkness, “Do you need help?”

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/ouat0202hd-3119.jpg)

Quickly looking up, Emma can barely make out the figure of a woman, but she can see the red of her hair glinting in the faint light.

Emma leans back protectively; ready to jump to her feet as she asks, “Who are you?”

The woman’s voice comes back to her and replies, “A friend.”

As she walks forward, Emma can see it’s an older woman and begins to relax slightly.  All the tension rushes back into her stance as the woman looks her over and introduces herself.

“My name is Cora”

* * *

**Final count, 3,803 words.**

**Fairfarren~Wendy & Sharon**


	5. Walk with me, Walk with You

 

# Walk with me, Walk with You

**[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/jolly-roger-5.jpg) **

**Disclosure:  Once Upon A Time owned by ABC.  Not me.**

**Pre Edit Count -   3,681 Words**

_Song I listened to for this chapter: Your Guardian Angel_ by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

* * *

_Previous:_

_Realizing that they are taking her away to be locked up again, her fight suddenly returns and she starts struggling with the hands holding her.  She soon finds however that they have her overwhelmed.  Before she knows it, she is thrown through a door hard enough to make her grunt but moments later, a guard throws Snow in the Pit as well. Emma runs to her side, pleading, “Be careful! Oh!!! Be careful!”, as she crouches beside her mother.  She pleads with the unconscious Mary Margaret, “Hey, come on.  Wake up!”_

_Falling to her knees she shakes her again, “Can you hear me?”_

_Suddenly, a voice comes out the darkness, “Do you need help?”_

_Quickly looking up, Emma can barely make out the figure of a woman, but she can see the red of her hair glinting in the faint light._

_Emma leans back protectively; ready to jump to her feet as she asks, “Who are you?”_

_The woman’s voice comes back to her and replies, “A friend.”_

_As she walks forward, Emma can see it’s an older woman and begins to relax slightly.  All the tension rushes back into her stance as the woman looks her over and introduces herself._

_“My name is Cora”_

_Next:_

* * *

Her mind a whirl, Emma backs off slightly and remembers what Killian told her in her dream. Cora! He had specifically warned her about a woman named Cora, but Emma was so sure what she had dreamed was nothing but a really vivid dream. If Cora is real, what does that say for the rest of the dream? With years of practice on her side, Emma doesn’t allow anything of what she is feeling to reflect on her face. Remembering the warning, Emma’s mind is ablaze, coming up with the best strategy to avoid tipping her hand and to not allow her to suspect a thing. She is still not entirely convinced her dream was anything more than just that, but for now, she will heed Killian’s warning. With her mind quickly running through available options, she winces mentally when her mind lands on the best one. She is going to have to play the idiotic blonde. This is a strategy she has used before, allowing her looks to convince others she is nothing but a ditz and has no brain. She hates it but she can’t deny that it gives her an advantage when people underestimate her.

Besides, she really can’t be certain that Killian was more than just a dream. For all she knew he could be a part of the magic of this place, warning her about Cora rather than a specific person. Maybe this Killian is simply the Enchanted Forest, reaching out to her, the Savior, as the only one who can help restore it. Emma had to admit to herself however that the pull in her chest she has felt all her life, while still there, is lessening just a little each minute she is here, perhaps due to this Killian drawing nearer as promised.

Quickly making a decision, Emma realizes she will have to reveal Henry to Cora and hopes to everything above that Killian was being truthful when he said that he would help defend their son. HER son, she mentally corrects. She hopes that Snow and Cora both buy the idiot act she is about to play.…  ‘ _part truth, part lie, makes the best con’,_ She reminds herself.

Looking down at her mother, Emma asks Cora, “You sure she’s gonna be okay?”

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/vlcsnap-2013-12-03-00h39m02s47.png)

Cora is crouched beside Snow, checking the back of her head and looks up at the blonde in front of her.  She smiles as she looks down at her granddaughter in law, “Don’t worry. She’ll be fine.”  She stands slowly, wondering who the young lady in front of her is, and what her connection is to Snow.  Cora wraps her cloak around her, her mind also working quickly, making and dismissing plans, and knows it all depends on how Snow reacts to the blonde.

Until Cora can determine her next best course of action, she will be her normal self and will try to gain all the information she can on this woman, anything and everything that will help her reach her final goal – her daughter, Regina.

Emma looks up at the opening and wonders out loud, “What is this place? Where are we?”

Cora answers her carefully, “It’s a little island our captors like to think of as their haven.”

Emma looks off to the side getting herself together, remembering the one plea that Killian had made of her, ‘Don’t let her know about us!  It is crucial!’.  At that same moment, as she glances to her side, she sees a slight twinkle in the air…

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/tink.jpg)

Wishing to draw Cora’s attention away from whatever it is, Emma swings around with her one hand behind her back to shoo away whatever it is, pretending it is a bug. As she does do she says to Cora, “Haven?  From what?”

Cora tells her solemnly, “The world is dangerous, what’s left of it, anyway.”  She uses the same tone of voice she had used so effectively on Regina and later Snow herself.  Why fool with something that works?

Emma hides the shudder she feels from Cora’s tone of voice.  Something inside of her is warning her about this woman. Something about her isn’t quite right.  She looks away and comments, “Well, they can’t keep us down here.” She looks up and meets Cora’s eyes as she tells her, “We didn’t do anything wrong.”

Cora answers her frankly, “Neither did I.”  Her look of innocence is perfect, as it should be after many years of perfecting it.

Giving her a sympathetic glance that was as fake as Cora’s innocent one, Emma commiserates with her and asks, “Then why are you here?” ‘ _Besides whatever Killian has said…_ ’

Looking off to the side, Cora has no idea that she is giving away much more than intended to the former con-artist. “I am here for something my daughter did.”

Watching every nuance, Emma wonders if she would have fallen for Cora’s lies if Killian hadn’t warned her. She would like to think that she would not have but she cannot be certain. Thankful for Killian’s warning which is now at the forefront of her mind, Emma can see the thousand little tells that give Cora away as she tries to gain Emma’s sympathy. “The curse that ravaged this land –“ Cora takes a deep breath, as though she is admitting something painful, “My daughter cast it.”

The shock that crossed Emma’s face was very real as she blurts out, “Regina!  You’re Regina’s mother?” ‘ _The apple didn’t fall far the tree._ ’

Taking a deep breath, Cora admits, “Yes, but you’ve nothing to fear from me.” ‘ _U_ _ntil I find_ _out_ _otherwise of course._ ’

Emma’s body demands that she move, and she gives in to the urge, figuring it would help illustrate how naïve she really is; as though she is trying to figure Cora out..

Looking down like she is repentant, Cora says in a hollow voice, “The Apple fell very far from the tree.”

Two voices, one in each of their heads goes, ‘ _Humph!’_   Tink is trying not to laugh, just watching to make sure Cora isn’t doing anything to her human.

Emma can’t quite help the eye roll, but she looks off when Cora asks, “You’re from over there, aren’t you?”   She is trying to figure out how much truth to mix in with the lies, wishing Snow was awake to help her out.

Cora asks the question that is burning the most, the one that she must have an answer to as she smiles and shrugs, “How’d you get back?”

Like an answer from heaven, Emma hears Snow’s voice saying her name, “Emma.”

Turning around to face Snow as she rises, Snow is holding the back of her head and whispers with dread on her face, “No.”

Cora smiles and acts like there is no reason for Snow to be upset, speaking to her kindly, “Oh, Snow.  You’re awake.  I’m so relieved.”

Snow just stares at Cora for a moment, fear briefly seizing her heart, then moves in front of Emma, grabs her hands and stares into eyes to make her point. “As bad as you think Regina is, this woman is worse.”  Snow’s voice is low and penetrating.

Emma goes to take a breath, hating herself, but needs to keep up the ruse so that Cora doesn’t realize who she is or anything about her, just as Killian had made her promise. She realizes in that second that she is trusting the word of a self-professed Pirate Captain; that what he asked of her is taking precedence, even above Snow, her friend and mother.

Snow didn’t catch the shock that crossed Emma’s face as she is too busy rolling her eyes and turning to face Cora as Cora comments, “Oh, Snow.”

Putting her arm in front of Emma, instinctively protecting her daughter, Snow faces down the woman who had helped make her life a literal hell and ripped her away from Emma when she was just a baby.  There is no way she will ever fall for her tricks now.

Emma thinks it through and decides to continue with the plan she originally decided upon. She can use the way Snow is acting to her advantage however the only thing making her hesitant is how hurt Snow may be in the end. Her mother is one half of a True Love pair though and hopes she can understand one day that for now, Emma will allow this Killian to guide her until she can prove him wrong.

Cora watches how Snow interacts with the blonde, but still tries to sway her to Cora’s side. It worked once many years ago; what is the harm in trying once again? Maybe Snow will overreact, causing Emma to fall under her influence more…. with the plan in place, Cora says sweetly, “Sweet Snow, Please.”

She looks her into Snow’s eyes as she pleads, “Believe me.  Whatever she told you isn’t true.  I just want to help you.”

Biting the tip of her tongue, Emma can feel her quirk telling her that this woman is lying through her teeth, yet nothing shows on her face. This woman is well-practiced at what she does. Emma encourages Snow, by whispering in her ear, “Let’s hear her out.”

Snow shoots her down with a hard, loud, “Emma.”

Emma moves closer and states to Snow, “Okay, right now we are at the bottom of a hole, with no other options and Henry is back in Storybrooke with Regina.”  And there is the risk.  Her soul is screaming at her heart to be right, that Killian is real, but her head is screaming at her that she is wrong. Things like True Love just didn’t exist. Yes, this Killian appeared to be everything that Emma had ever wanted, but many difficult years had taught Emma that if something was too good to be true, it usually was. The words were out, however, so there was no going back. She just needed to play the hand she had dealt.

Cora is shocked. Henry? That was the name of her husband?  Is he still alive and what would this woman have to do with him?  “Who’s Henry?”

Emma looks down and tells Cora, “My son.  I kind of share him with Regina.” ‘ _Please forgive me!’_  She cries out with her soul and feels a light caress, so light that she dismisses it almost as soon as she registers it. Distracted by Snow’s shaking head, she continues, “It’s complicated.”

Snow turns on her and grabs her by her upper arms, shaking her as she tells Emma, “Don’t talk to her.”

Suddenly, a man’s voice booms down from above, causing all three women to look up as he yells, “Enough!”

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/vlcsnap-2013-12-03-00h41m30s242.png)

A rope drops down in front of them and Emma wonders why they can’t just go out the door they had been brought in by, when the man tells them, “Our Leader requests an audience.”  They look at each other and Snow waves for her to go up the rope first, not wanting to leave Emma alone with Cora any longer than was necessary.

Once they had both made their way up the rope and were being led through the camp, Snow asks her, “Why can’t you just listen to me?”

Still turning things over in her mind, Emma replies back, “Why couldn’t you have trusted me? I was just trying to find a way to get us home.  I could’ve handled her.”  By this point Emma has her arms crossed and feels a little bit offended.  She understands that Snow just remembered who she was, but she  _had_  been alone and fending for herself for the first 28 years of her life. Emma was all grown up and had learned how to take care of herself a long time ago.

Again, she feels a light caress, just the whisper of something against her cheek, but explains it away as simply being a breeze.

Snow, who is walking slightly in front of Emma, looks back at her in astonishment.

“Cora?  Don’t be so sure.”  She looks back to Emma and tries to reason with her. “I’ve lived here, Emma.”  When Emma looks up at her, Snow tells her, “I know this world and its dangers.”

Before she can do anything more to convince Emma, the man who had thrown down the rope to them walks forward and says, “Wait here.”

Emma on the other hand, is feeling belittled.  She halts with the rest, then takes a deep breath.  She turns to Snow and questions her, “Is that why you came through the Portal?”  She gives her a flat stare as she continues, “Because you thought I was helpless here?”

Snow looks at her, a little lost, as she answers her with one word, “No.”  Then she takes a step towards her daughter as she tells her, “I came through to be with you.”

She stares at Emma for a couple of seconds before her attention is taken by the tall dark-skinned man descending the stairs and she asks amazed, “Lancelot?”

Emma doesn’t want to turn around, doesn’t want to see anything. She is still upset by the realization that Snow came through after her because she trust Emma to be able to survive alone in this world, or worse yet, she didn’t trust Emma in this world.

However the question and amazement in the deep voice behind her as they call her mother’s name, “Snow?”, has Emma turning reluctantly around just in time to watch her mother run past her into a tall, armored, dark-skinned man’s arms.  She watches as they both laugh with joy at seeing each other.

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/vlcsnap-2013-12-03-00h29m59s24.png)

Snow and Lancelot look at each other in amazement and Snow can’t seem to stop saying, “Oh!”

Emma catches Lancelot’s eyes briefly as she shifts and rests her hands behind her back as he tells Snow, “If I’d have known that you were the prisoners Mulan had brought back, I never would’ve locked you away.”

Emma is still distrustful of the man before them, but after the remarks her mother had just given her, she kept her mouth shut.  She didn’t like how Snow didn’t seem to trust Emma at all, yet seemed perfectly happy to trust a man she had not seen in 28 years.  Snow knew Emma when she had no idea of who she truly was to her and never treated her like this, so why now?

Lancelot, pleads with Snow, “Please forgive me?”

Snow cups the back of his head as she grins excitedly up at him, “Of course.”

Unable to keep her thoughts to herself any longer, Emma questions, “Lancelot?  Really?”

The two look at her, Snow with a smile on her face, Lancelot with a glance…

Snow looks back into her friend’s eyes as she answers Emma, “He’s an old friend.” Then in answer of the unspoken question she tells her, “We can trust him.”

Emma looks up at Lancelot and sees her own distrust being reflected back. At the same time though, she feels as though something is telling her everything will be ok. Sighing, she looks back as Snow introduces her. “This is Emma.”

Deciding to make the first move, Emma extends her hand to him and he shakes it as she tells him, “Nice to meet you.”

* * *

Tinkerbelle is watching over her human some distance away, but close enough to ensure she will come to no harm. She is doing what she can, but was alarmed when Emma mentioned Henry so easily in front of Cora. She felt as Killian did however, trusting her instincts and had smiled when Killian had sent reassurance to his Love.

Tink’s attention is captured by the two that she had instinctively stayed near in case they posed any threat to her human…and it is beginning to look like a good thing as she hears Princess Aurora demand of Mulan, anger clear in her voice, “Why is he embracing her?”

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/vlcsnap-2013-12-03-00h30m29s69.png)

Tink shakes her head, thinking that Aurora is in desperate need of a wake-up call. Snow is a Queen which makes Emma a Princess and therefore of equal status to Aurora. Times have greatly changed however in the time that Aurora slept and status does not mean as much as it once did. In this new world ravaged by the curse, all are equal in their desire to survive and rebuild. She turns her attention back to the pair below, making sure she is privy to their plans.

Aurora is shaking as she continues her questioning of Mulan, “They were responsible for Phillip’s death.”

Mulan glances at her as Aurora draws herself up.  Mulan just tells her, “You’re new here, Aurora.” Mulan nods her head towards the threesome, as she informs her, “Phillip trusted Lancelot.  So must we.”

Tink notices that Aurora demands of Mulan, “I want justice.”  Does she not know who Mulan really is?

Noticing the same thing, and getting irate, Mulan cautions her, “Tread carefully. It’s dangerous to confuse vengeance with justice.”  When Aurora dismisses her, Mulan probes her, “Do you understand me?”

When Aurora continues to throw her petty fit, Mulan moves in front of her where she can’t help but look at her and asks again, “Do you understand me?”

Glancing down, Aurora finally answers, “Yes.”

With that, Mulan walks away. However Tink remains where she is to keep watch on the spoiled princess. The look of pure loathing that passes over Auroras face as she gazes toward the trio has Tink concerned and that concern is soon warranted when the Princess reaches beneath her cloak and draws a dagger, throwing another look of hatred toward the group.

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/vlcsnap-2013-12-03-00h30m57s90.png)

Tink sighs.  Another one to watch out for.  When is Killian going to be here?  With the speed his beloved is gaining enemies, he will find himself kept busy for quite some time. But then, it might do him some good to be the one worrying for once….

* * *

Soon the group seats themselves for a meal and a plate of very unappetizing meat is tossed on the table. Emma asks, “What is that?”

Snow glances at her as Lancelot answers, “That is chimera. An acquired taste, but all our hunting party could bring back.”  Lancelot comes up behind them and Emma watches Snow as she turns to her. He continues to his seat at the head of the table and Emma glances at him then back at the meat.  She then hears him continue, “One part lion, one part serpent, one part goat.”

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/vlcsnap-2013-12-03-00h31m18s41.png)

Emma stabs a piece as she asks, “Like Turducken?”  She makes a face at the piece she picks up, deciding it has nothing on turducken. She carefully puts the piece back down and makes the conscious decision to become a vegetarian for as long as it takes to be able to recognize the meat she is served…

Snow states to Lancelot, “We were told this land didn’t even exist anymore.”

Emma keeps her face free of emotion as she remembers the story Killian told her in her dream, the brief history of what had happened, but with no way of being able to explain how she knew the story without revealing Killian and her dreams, she keeps her mouth shut, plays dumb, and concentrates on the food in front of her.

Snow continues, “How did you all escape the curse?”

Watching Emma pick through the food, slight amusement flickering across his face, Lancelot turns his attention back to Snow and answers, “It is a mystery.  The curse struck, and when the smoke cleared, most of us had been torn from this land.”

Sticking to her veggie resolution, Emma stabs something that looks like an overgrown green onion, or perhaps a leak? Deciding to figure it out later, she grabs a bunch of mini purple grapes and listens to the conversation.

“But some of us here, in this particular region, were left behind.”  Lancelot shakes his head as he continues, “We don’t know how and we don’t know why.”  He meets both of their eyes and resumes the tale, “Finding this safe haven wasn’t easy. It took some spilled blood.  But worry not. You’re safe here.”

Emma hides her expression behind a cup as she takes a sip to cover the emotions that threaten to make themselves known on her face. According to Killian, they were not safe here and he is on his way due to these dangers. Cora is here! Emma internally shakes herself. At exactly which point today did she stop thinking of Killian as a figment of her imagination, or a product of the magic here, and begin thinking of him as a real person?! She was confused enough with everything going on in her life without throwing him in the mix! There was no denying however that even the mere thought of him seemed to bring a sense of calm to her tangled emotions, and her instincts demanded that she trust herself…and him.

Turning her attention back to the people in front of her, she hears Snow say to him, “We can’t stay.”  She gently explains to her old friend, “My husband’s back there, Emma’s son, my grandson—we have to get back to them.”  She meets Emma’s eyes when she mentions Henry.

Once again biting her tongue, Emma can’t chastise Snow for mentioning Henry since she mentioned him first in the pit, but she has such a bad feeling that telling Lancelot anything was the very worst thing to do. She just had no idea why!

She just looks back at Snow as she finishes asking Lancelot. “Can you help us find a portal?”

Looking for a way to tell her no without saying it outright, he says, “Leaving is unwise. The Enchanted Forest is not as you remember it.”  He pauses then tells her solemnly, “The Ogres have returned.”

Not able to keep her mouth shut, Emma exclaims, “Ogres?”  Killian didn’t mention ogres earlier.  Are they such a big deal? ”Like as in Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum?”

Snow smiles as she grabs Emma’s hand and gently corrects her, “Those would be giants.”

Emma can’t help but look at her with an expression of ‘oh yeah, such a huge difference’.

Lancelot interrupts them and says, “Ogres are far worse.” Once he has both their attentions again, he continues, “That’s why we live here, on this island, where it’s safe.”

Snow is nodding her head, seemingly in agreement, yet can’t help the brief glances around, as though hoping a portal would just magically appear within the camp.

Lancelot beseeches her, “Please Snow, stay here.  There are no more portals left.”

Snow relaxes, places her hands on the table and admits to them, “I might know of one.”

Emma’s attention is stolen back to her mother and she has a sharp jolt of hope.  She asks, “You do?”

Lancelot also seems to suddenly become very interested and asks with urgency, “Where?”

Looking around and then waving her hand, Snow admits, “Cora’s near. I don’t feel comfortable voicing my plans.”  She shakes her head and misses Lancelot lick his lips in anticipation.  “She’s powerful.”

[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/vlcsnap-2013-12-03-00h50m41s117.png)

Hurrying to tell her, “Not anymore”, Lancelot seems eager to convince Snow, continuing with his next words, “The curse stripped her of her powers.  But given her reputation, we’ve kept her locked up as a precaution.”

Nodding her head at the truthfulness of this statement, she expresses her concern, “Nevertheless, I’m not taking chances.”

While Snow and Lancelot talk, Emma allows herself to blend into the background, taking bites of food in an attempt to keep herself from talking. She is used to keeping her own intents and thoughts to herself, but too much of this conversation felt off to her. Snaking a glance at Lancelot, he felt off to her. She was relieved that so far Snow also seemed to be somewhat cautious, wondering if perhaps her quirk was a family trait. Something about Lancelot made Emma believe he was lying during much of the conversation, and even when not speaking, and she was unsure why or how her talent would be telling her that.

Snow looks back up to Lancelot and reveals to him, “Just trust me.  I may have a way.”  She then puts forth her plea, “Let us go.”

Emma turns from her to Lancelot to see his reaction.

Turning the options over in his mine, Lancelot decides, “I’ll allow it, but on one condition…”  He signals Mulan to come over as he divulges, “Take my bravest warrior with you.”  As she walks up, Lancelot continues, “Allow Mulan to defend you.”

With that statement, Emma get’s her back up as she retorts, “We can defend ourselves.”

Snow interrupts her, telling Lancelot, “Deal.”

Snow ignores Emma as the latter whips her head around to look at her with a glare of protest and continues, “Thank you Lancelot, for always looking out for me.”

* * *

**Final count, words: 4,390**

**Fairfarren~Wendy & Sharon**

* * *

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******FYI -   When new chapters are posted, they're posted first on my Wordpress site,<http://kittyinaz.com/>  , a week before they're released to other sites.  Come on by - the pics are fine!**** **


	6. Cut You Into Pieces

# Cut You Into Pieces

**[ ](http://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/chapter-6-best_edited-4.jpg)**

 

 

 

 **Disclosure: Once Upon A Time owned by ABC,** **Adam Horowitz**  and **Edward Kitsis**. Unfortunately while it may seem like a story out of my head, I did not copyright it.  They did.  So Kelpie and I are left writing FanFiction to correct the story. Hey, someone has to.

**Pre Edit Count – 3,728 Words**

Song I listened to for this chapter: _Please Don’t Leave Me_ by P!nk.

* * *

_Previous:_

_During this time, Emma is taking bites of her food, to help keep her mouth shut. She is used to keeping her own intent and mind, but too much of this felt off to her. Lancelot felt off, like he was lying all the time, even when he was not speaking and Emma is not sure why or how her talent could tell her that._

_Snow looks back up to Lancelot and reveals to him, “Just trust me. I may have a way.” She then puts forth her plea, “Let us go.”_

_Emma turns from her to Lancelot to see his reaction._

_Turning over the options, Lancelot decides, “Okay, but on one condition…” He signals Mulan to come over as he divulges, “Take my bravest warrior with you.” As she walks up, Lancelot continues, “Allow Mulan to defend you.”_

_Right there, Emma’s back went up and she retorts, “We can defend ourselves.”_

_Snow interrupts her telling Lancelot, “Deal.”_

_She ignore Emma as she swings her way with a look of protest and continues, “Thank you Lancelot, for always looking out for me.”_

_Now:_

* * *

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Emma and Snow follow Mulan to a chest sitting on the ground. She pulls on the handles and the chest bursts open showing weapons of every sort. The three of them look down at the bow and arrows, along with the swords and other weapons in the chest.

These are not what Emma is used to using as weapons, and it is something she thinks won’t be so easy to learn while on the run.

Mulan tells them, “Choose wisely. We must be vigilant if we hope to survive the journey.” She watches as Snow and Emma both grab swords and start to strap them on.

“Where’s my gun?” Emma’s words surprise Mulan as she looks her in the eye, telling her frankly, “I want it back.”

Mulan reaches behind her to pull out the object that Emma asks for, and looks at it curiously, almost pulling the trigger, causing Snow to watch her carefully. “Is it magic?”

Emma reaches out her hand and swipes the gun away, “It depends on who is pulling the trigger.” She examines the gun, checking the chamber as Snow grabs the long bow and arrows.

Mulan is watching them, then tells them, “Follow my lead. Step where I step, do exactly as I say and we might survive.”

Emma finishes checking her gun and stows it in her holster as she answers wryly, “Thanks for the pep talk, but I think we’re okay.”

Snow is strapping on her arrows and gives her daughter a look as she mentions, “I just killed a dragon last week.”

Mulan is quick to answer the tone in Emma’s voice, “Have you ever seen an ogre?” She walks forward to Emma as she answers sardonically, “Pretty sure I’ve dated a few.”

Snow is listening to the two posturing as she tests the bow.

Mulan is standing a foot away from Emma, informing her, “Legend has it that when they kill you, the last thing you see is yourself dying in the reflection in their eyes.”

Snow rolls her eyes as she sees what is going on. It is a contest to best each other, and she is not sure what started it, but right now, Emma needs to listen before she gets herself killed. On the other hand, Snow is not wanting Mulan bullying her daughter, who she just jumped through a portal to follow, who she had not seen for 28 years.

Mulan turns around, her cloak swirling around her figure as she tells the two, “Let’s walk. It’ll be dark soon.”

Snow waits for her daughter, and tells her in a softer voice, “Don’t let her rattle you. I won’t let anything happen to us. Stick to the plan.”

Behind them, unseen, Aurora is following them, watching them for the chance for her revenge.

Emma gets agitated as she asks Snow, “What is the plan? You haven’t told me anything. What’s going on?”

Snow looks back at her and tells her, “The Wardrobe.”

Emma is confused as she looks at her friend and asks, “Wardrobe?” Then as the words sink in she asks, “The Wardrobe, like, the Wardrobe that sent little baby me to Maine?”

Snow hmms her answer to her.

Emma is mystified by the thoughts, but she clarifies, “You think it could get us back to Storybrooke?”

Snow looks down as she follows Mulan out of the camp, commenting, “I don’t know. First we have to see if it survived the curse, then we’ll worry about making it work.”

Aurora is still following them on the outside of camp, though neither notice, too involved in their conversation. Tink notices though, and she sighs as she realizes the princess is not giving up her ideas of revenge.

Emma asks, wondering, “Where is it?”

Snow smiles as she answers Emma, “My place.” She then asks the confused Savior, “You wanna see where you’re from, Emma?” When she sees the shocked look on Emma’s face she tells her, “That’s right. We are going home.” And with that they follow Mulan out of the camp, all three oblivious to their tag-a-long.

* * *

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Later after they walk most of the day, Emma is trying not to rub her chest. But the pain is drastically reducing, and she is glad of it, since her body aches from the day spent walking at such a fast pace.

They break out of the forest and Mulan looks around as they follow her, mentioning, “This will do. We’ll make camp here for the night.” She is looking back at them, making sure they are paying attention as she continues to tell them, “We just need to find water. And collect some firewood.”

Emma, looking around, notices they are in a clearing and will be visible for anything to see them if they start a fire, asks, “Uh, if we are hiding from ogres, wouldn’t it be better to-oh, I don’t know-not start a fire?”

Snow is quick to correct her, “Ogres are blind.” She looks back at Emma, “They hunt by sound alone.”

Emma lifts an eyebrow, as she sarcastically bites back, “Right. Because that’s just common knowledge, huh?.” She doesn’t miss Snow’s reaction to her comment, but really? They can’t tell her anything?

Mulan looks away, embarrassed for Emma. Snow sighs as she walks up closer to her daughter, quietly telling her, “Look. I know you’re out of your element…”

Emma quickly tells her, “I’m fine”

Snow visibly takes a deep breath and lets it out, replying, “I know, but maybe you should just stay here while we get the wood and water. You know, guard the campsite.”

Emma gives her a scathing look as she asks, “You mean the big, empty clearing?”

Snow visibly gets agitated as she replies, “It’s the safest place. We’ll be right back.” With that Snow nods to Mulan, and they both leave her standing in the clearing by herself with nothing for her to do.

* * *

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Hook sighs in relief as he feels the pull lessen, and he hopes that she is finally in a place where he can meet her. He hates the secrecy he needs to keep around her, and from what he has learned, it will not endear him to her.

No matter, he will do what he must to win his True Love to his side. He just really needs to prove that he is real to her, he just knows that she is probably questioning it with her past.

He moves quietly, making sure he won’t attract an ogre to their first meeting. That would not give the right impression, would it?

When he walks through to the clearing, he freezes, his eyes locked on the blonde beauty before him. He cannot say a word, the shock of her being here in front of him is enough to render the usually mouthy pirate mute.

When he hears the quiet gasp and watches her turn around, his smile widens. He drops into a small bow, telling her, “Killian Jones at your service, milady.” He purposely used the same words he had met her with in the dream.

Emma just opens her mouth and closes it. She finally admits, “You are real.”

He cannot help the smirk that crosses his face, “Of course I am real. Did you really doubt it? Didn’t you feel the pain in your chest lessen as I made my way to you?”

Emma looks down, not wanting to tell him she didn’t believe in any of it.

He walks closer to her, and when she takes a half a step back from him, he smiles and takes that extra step to her, bringing her into his arms. He can feel her fight it for all of a second, before she takes a breath of air tinged with his scent. And then she relaxes in his arms, just like in the dream.

Not able to help himself, he kisses her head, as he tells her softly, “Emma darling. I have waited more years than you can ever comprehend for just this. To be able to hold you in my arms. The only other thing I want is our first kiss, but that can wait until we are past all this danger.”

Emma sighs, feeling as though a huge weight has been lifted from her. She feels loved, safe and everything she had ever read in a fairy tale. And that realization is one that makes her open her eyes and back away from him, regretting the loss of his warmth.

“I don’t believe this. I gave True Love’s kiss to my son. I woke Graham from the curse. How can you be my True Love after all that?”

He closes the space she had put between them, and cups her face in his one hand, telling her softly, “Our son would be a recipient of True Love’s kiss from either of his parent, and that is us darling. You love him. For that matter, Emma Darling, I love him and I have yet to even see him. There is nothing more pure than the love of a parent for their child. As for this Graham, you are a product of True Love, just as our son is. I do know that you are my True Love. I felt you being born, I have felt the pull to you all your life. I am here because of that same pull. Darling, you might fight this, but I am not lying to you.”

She closes her eyes as she feels the warmth that courses through her when he touches her. But her brain kicks in and she tells him, “Killian, I don’t know what you want from me. I have a bit of a problem dealing with magic.”

He grins at her, “Darling, you are magic. And as for what I want? I want it all. But I can wait for you, love. I just needed to see you, to touch you. Can you not feel the warmth that courses through your body at my touch? I have been craving that for years. I have not had the touch of a woman since I lost Milah. First to honor her memory. Then because I was given the hope of you.”

Emma is shaking her head, denying the words. She cannot allow her heart to be out there to be hurt yet again. Once was all she needed to know this wasn’t worth the pain it would inevitably bring.

Killian sighs, feeling the tug of Cora’s spell again. He had told her he was going to scout and see what he can find out about this world now that the enchantment had been lifted. She had games to play and he didn’t care. Now he has a bad feeling that it is his love that she is playing games with. Especially since Snow is here, and Cora has always hated Snow.

So he looks back down to his love, and tells her, “Emma, this is real. There is nothing more real than the two of us. You accepted me in a dream, why not now? Why not when I am standing before you, exposed as only a man who is in love with the woman before him can be? I will get you anything you desire, I will get us home, and reunited with our son, and I will make sure you both are treated as you should be. To this end, I am working with our enemy to keep you safe and try to make sure we get home one way or another. Even if I can only send you, I will find another way to you. Woman, what do you wish me to do to prove myself to you?”

He is standing there, his blue eyes penetrating her very soul as he pleads with her. Emma has the feeling she is the only woman he will do absolutely anything for.

Emma just stares at him, and then she sighs. “Dear lord! Why does everyone insist on treating me like a child?”

Killian takes that crucial step closer to her, and he tells her softly, “Because in the world that you are part of now, you are a child of magic. But I am not treating you as a child. You have survived this long on your own and I have no doubt you can land on your feet no matter what is thrown at you in this new world. Who is treating you like a child, my love?” His eyes are fierce, he will even face Mulan if he finds she is belittling his love.

Emma just chuckles humorlessly before choking on her words, “My…mother.”

He lifts an eyebrow. “Oh… I see.” And there is the problem. Snow White. How did one treat the situation with her and her daughter? He could see the issue. Snow had her one moment, and when the curse was lifted, she is the same age as her daughter. That would be a hard situation.

She sighs as she looks around the empty clearing. “Yeah. She doesn’t quite get that I’m not her little girl anymore. She was my friend before the curse broke-the best friend I’ve ever had-but now…she’s trying to make up for lost time. And I get that. But there’s nothing left to do. I’m an adult. The baby she never got to have isn’t here anymore.”

He reaches out with his one arm, and brings her into him, holding her close. “I am sorry, love. You are right, this is not an easy situation for you. And even worse, you are not in your own environment, where you can stand up to her easier. I suspect that they keep thinking you know about things, since this is technically your home, then when you don’t it slaps them in the face.” He leans away, and looking into her green eyes, he smiles. “However, I think I can somewhat help you with that. Tink has been following you. She is watching over you, and wishes to talk to you. She can help you understand the Enchanted Forest, and make it easier for you to stand on your own.”

At that moment there was a tinkling noise, and then Tink appears. She grins at Emma while Emma just blinks, and subconsciously moves closer to Killian. He tightens his grip on her, and tells her soothingly, “It’s alright, love. It’s just Tink, or Tinkerbelle.”

Emma shakes her head in confusion and can only think to say, “You’re real?”

Tink laughs. “Yep. And you have no idea how hard it has been to keep this one under control. I did what I could to make him live long enough for you to meet him, but he is one determined person to try to keep out of trouble.”

Emma stares at the blonde woman, then she looks back up at Killian. He can see the wheels moving, and waits to see what her interesting brain will come up with. He had hoped to complete all but the kiss part of the bond, but he will give her what she needs to believe. Once she does….

Then she says the words he hadn’t dared to hope for. “I can’t believe it…but I do. I believe.”

He crushes her to him, and he can see the glow around them as more threads of their bond knit together, making them closer to being one. It is all he can do not to give her that kiss, but he wants them to be safer before he does.

She feels and then sees a glow around them. She feels closer to the man holding her tight to him, and she has vague flashes in her head of things that she can only guess to be his long life. She sags against him, not able to make sense of what is happening.

Killian holds her to him, and glances up at Tink with a question in his eyes.

She smiles at him, then lays a hand on her person, telling her, “Yes, those are his memories, and I will help you go through them at a later date. He has been getting yours, but Killian has long learned how to take that information and sort it all out. Just know that I am glad you will accept our help. I have watched and your mother is confused to say the least. She wants her little girl back, and to have you standing in front of her with none of her dreams realized-well that is a shock. And she is not dealing with it well.”

Emma takes a deep breath and lets it out, closing her eyes as she takes in this odd feeling of safety. Not even with Neal did she ever feel this good just being held in his arms.

Killian lays his head on hers, and just holds her close to him. There is plenty of time to head back, but for right now, they need to just enjoy this time.

* * *

After the two of them had spent time just relaxing, Tink is the one who tells them, “I hate to break up this time between the two of you, since who knows when you will be able to do this again, but I sense Mulan, Snow and Aurora coming back this way.”

This gets Emma attention, “Aurora? She isn’t with us.”

Tink nods slowly, “She hates the two of you since she really believes that you are the reason that her Prince is dead. She is hunting Snow especially.”

Killian’s arms tighten around Emma and he asks Tink, “You want me to leave her when her life or her mother’s is in danger? Tink!?!”

She smiles, “Killian, you know you guys only need the Kiss to finish the Bond. But what you have is enough to have the magic working for the two of you. Trust in it Killian. I can understand Emma not doing so, but you?”

He gives her a flat look as he holds Emma. Then he sighs. “Unfortunately, love, she is right. If I don’t start heading back, Cora is going to come looking to see what I’m doing. She is a very untrusting woman, and I don’t want her attention brought to you. She already is looking because you are with Snow.” He turns and cups her face in his hand, brushing his thumb over her cheek.

She looks up at him, still confused about what is going on.

He sighs, murmuring, “How much I wish I could kiss you, my love. But when we next meet, if we are around others, are you ready? To make others think that we are nothing more than a dashing pirate who is a ladies man and my next target is you.”

She cannot help the snort. “A dashing pirate who’s next victim is me?”

He grins as he looks into her face, “You’ll do, love. You will do. Now, what do you have to defend yourself with?”

He backs up a step, and when she waves her hand towards the sword, he frowns. “Do you know how to use it, Emma darling?”

She rolls her eyes, “I just killed a dragon with it, so I’d say so.”

He nods, thinking before he asks, “Is that it?”

She sighs then brings out her gun, which he frowns at. “Methinks that better be a last resort, love.”

When she tells him exasperatedly, “It’s easier to use than a sword! Plus, I’m a really good shot.”

He chuckles, “I don’t doubt it, love. But this is the Enchanted Forest, and things such as that have a way of bringing unwanted attention to you. Plus, do you have additional ammunition for it?”

She narrows her eyes in thought. “No.” She pauses before rolling her eyes and promising, “I won’t use it unless I have to. Happy?”

He smiles, and kisses her on the forehead, “That’s my girl.” He sighs. “This has to be harder than anything I’ve done, love. Leaving you, knowing you could be in danger. But you will be careful?” He lifts an eyebrow, as his hand slides down to hold her by her neck.

Emma swallows as those incredible blue eyes are trained on her face. She nods, and smiles at him when he looks deeper in her eyes. “I’m all alone in a clearing with my mother and Mulan in range, with my very own personal fairy. I think I can be safe with that.”

Redirecting his mind from all the ways he can imagine her getting into trouble, and he nods. “Soon, darling. Soon this will be over and we will be together.” With that he hugs her close, then turns and walks away-no matter how much his instincts are screaming for him to stay, to protect her. He will not make the mistakes her mother is making.

No, he wants a woman to stand beside him, not a damsel in distress. And Emma is no fainting princess, nope. He grins, No, she is made to be his other half, and he has no doubt she would stand beside him on his ship, or anywhere.

Yes, Emma Swan is one who he will enjoy being at his side for the rest of eternity.

* * *

 Final count: 3,798 words.

Fairfarren~Wendy & Kelpie


	7. I'll Be On My Way

# I’ll Be On My Way

 

**[ ](https://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/chapter-7-best_edited-1.jpg) **

 

**Disclosure: Once Upon A Time owned by ABC. Not me.**

**Pre Edit Count – 2,590 Words**

Song I listened to for this chapter: _Call Me_ by Shinedown.

_Previous:_

_No; he wants a woman to stand beside him, not a damsel in distress. And Emma is no fainting princess; nope. He grins; she was made to be his other half, and he has no doubt she will stand beside him on his ship, or anywhere._

_Yes, Emma Swan is the one who he will enjoy being at his side for the rest of eternity._

_Now:_

* * *

Snow is gathering wood, her memory playing back to when she met Charming’s mother for the first time. She had tears in her eyes, seeing the hope in her soon to be mother-in-law’s eyes. And Snow remembers the pain she felt knowing her mother-in-law would never hold a child of Charming’s.

Back then, Snow had been heartbroken at meeting Charming’s mother right after she had been dealt the pain of being cursed and knowing that she would not bear the child of the man she loves so much. Then to know that what should have been a happy reunion of child and mother was one of pain because Snow had been too late to warn of the attack… There was not enough time to tell Charming of the threat, of the curse. There was not enough time for any of them.

Bringing her mind back to the here and now, Snow tries to hurry up because it is dark and she needs to get back to her daughter. She tries to get the sticks in front of her into an easy bundle so she can make it back to camp faster. It’s amazing how things come back to you from living your life in a forest.

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As she leans forward, a knife comes to her throat and she hears the words “Don’t move.” She is forced to stand upright.  She hears the tears in Princess Aurora’s voice as she says, “Philip’s gone because of you.”

Snow immediately grabs her attacker, throwing Aurora over her shoulder. Then Snow is on top of Aurora, her hands and feet holding the princess down as she growls out, “You listen to me, Princess!” The princess fights to get free as Snow informs her, “You think _I_ don’t know what it’s like to be separated from the people I love?”

Aurora closes her eyes, not wanting to listen to anything this murderer says to her.

Snow shakes her, trying to get her to see reason, to understand. “What happened to Phillip was _not_ our fault.” When Aurora again tries to close her eyes at Snow’s words, she’s shoved against the ground hard enough to make her head bounce as Snow tells her, “So I _suggest_ you find another way to channel your anger.” Snow ends in a loud whisper, her anger racing through her. She did not need this baby princess trying to kill her. There are more important things on her mind; trying to keep her daughter safe; trying to get them back home to protect her grandson; how to survive in this version of the Enchanted Forest…

Aurora stares up at the Queen. Before anything else can happen, Mulan comes out of nowhere grabbing Snow.

Snow surges to her feet, defensive as Mulan tells her, “Don’t talk to her like that.” With her anger clearly displayed, Snow retorts back, “She tried to kill me.” She stands up to the legendary warrior, showing exactly what had made her a name that everyone knew.

Mulan angrily informs her, “I will deal with her,” as she reaches down to the princess.

Snow and Mulan stare at each other, both jumping as they hear a loud noise. They both turn to face the person who made the racket, the one that could kill them.

* * *

Emma feels discombobulated from her meeting with Killian. She has no idea what is going on, and while she felt so much better with him, now that he is leaving, she can’t help but feel lost.

Her eyes track his lithe form, clearly showcased in his leathers, as he moves away.  She feels like she is being abandoned yet again.

Tink hovers at her side, and she looks up to see her human dangerously close to tears. She tells her, “He loves you. He has loved you since he first felt you come into the world. I think he had no idea how to feel, knowing that you were coming, but once you were born-everything in him strove to get to you. He was so scared that something would happen to you before he could meet you. Then it did; the curse came.  He hid away from everyone and everything. He lived your life with you, all the while frozen in his time.”

Emma takes a deep breath, feeling the ache flaring and pulsing in her, knowing it is him moving away from her. “I’ve been living my life out of suitcases, just waiting for everyone around me to leave. Because they always - **always** \- do. How do I know he won’t do the same thing?”

Tink moves up and hovers close to Emma’s face. “We _will_ be talking about this, Emma. You need to understand him, as well as he understands you. But just know this- _that man_ is _never_ going to give you up. When he loves someone, he gives them everything. But you? You are _his_ soul mate, _his_ True Love. For you, he will go to the ends of the world, through time itself to be there for you. He will never let you go. And to find you have a son that is also his? He will do so much to protect the two of you. Do you really think that it is easy for him to leave you? This has to be hard on him, and if you reach inside yourself, you will see this, _feel_ this. You and your son are the most important things in his life and will be until he takes his last breath.”

Shaking her head, Emma tells Tink, “My life’s been flipped upside down in less than a month. I’ve accepted that there is magic in this world, but now I’m supposed to flip everything even more and just accept that this man-this unknown stranger-loves me? It’s a nice thought, really but all I know is that love hurts. And I’m in no rush to go down that path again.”

Tink shakes her head, wringing her hands in front of her. “I am sorry, Emma. This is partly my fault. I should have found you earlier and been with you. All I knew was that there was a human for me, and that I would find them through Killian. I made friends with him when he was Peter, and became his confident when he came back to Neverland. I was with him as he learned he had to give up a very legitimate quest for revenge, or he would lose his True Love. Just… give him a fair chance.”

Before Emma can say anything, they both hear sounds of a fight.  They take off to find out what is happening. When Emma comes up to the three women, she could see that a fight is about to start, and this is not a time to be fighting. She couldn’t make it to her friend in time, so she did the only thing she could think of. She pulled her gun out and fired it into the air; thankfully there was no one nearby and no chance the bullet would hurt anyone.

Sure enough when they turn around, Tink is invisible, and Emma is still holding the gun in the air. She prayed Killian didn’t hear the shot and try to come back to her; she couldn’t handle him leaving her again. Plus, their plan wouldn’t work if he came back now.

She lowers her gun, using both hands to hold it as she was trained, moving forward in a slink.

This is what Killian finds as he appears suddenly in the tree line. He has no recollection of how he got here, he was moving steadily away to make sure he would put enough distance between them. But then he felt a kick of fear from his True Love, and he had nearly turned to go back to her, but he’d found himself here.

When he arrives with the sound of the blast still echoing in the clearing, he kicks himself for not telling her about the other reason he had not wanted her to fire the weapon. But bloody hell, he can’t be expected to keep track of who knows what!

But he pauses to admire his Swan and how she moves like a predator as she walks up to the three women. He also understands why she would fire the weapon; he wouldn’t want to get in the middle of a fight with any of these women, especially Mulan and Snow.

He watches as Snow whisper yells, “Emma, what are you doing?”

He laughs quietly to himself, unable to keep it in. Whispering with all these animals and after that noise?

Then his eyes widen. That noise!

He looks around, trying to figure out where the ogre will be coming from.

Emma is terrified, but she is strong, and answers her mother, “Protecting you. Drop. The. WEAPON!”

Snow tries to keep her voice down, but she chastises her daughter, “Do you have _any_ idea what you’ve just done?”

Then they all look as they hear some growling and rustling. Emma looks over her shoulders as she thinks of the only thing that would scare Snow since she’s sure Cora is still back at the camp. “Ogres?”

Snow has no problem thinking of what needs to be done and she screams out, “RUN!”

Mulan calls out to Aurora as the two other royals take off running. “Aurora, this way!”

Killian curses, but before he can do anything, Tink is there. “Killian! You’re not really here! I don’t know what is happening, but I can see you still walking away.” She is bouncing with her fear for her human and the need to keep Killian sane. No one needs Hook to come out now. Though if Emma is not safe, there will be no safe place in any of the realms.

He growls at her, “I didn’t want to leave her, and then I found myself here. What the bloody hell is going on?” He is watching his Swan as she moves towards the clearing they had been in earlier.

Tink grabs him, hustling him forward to keep up with Emma and tells him, “Your shadow!!”

He moves along now, suddenly comprehending. He had been Peter Pan, and what is Peter most famous for? His wayward shadow, of course! Killian came away with the ability to be in two places at once if need be, though it is not an easy process. As he moves to keep up with Tink and Emma, he is thinking that this may be a side effect of the True Love thing.

He watches the women run from the monster at their back, with screams of “Come On!” Then he hears Snow yell, “Split up!” He curses under his breath. “Dammit!” Though he would have tried to save them all, he cannot leave his Swan out there.

So he follows her, breathing a sigh of relief when he notices Emma and Snow run the same way. He dives behind them as he hears Snow saying, “Over there.”

Then his heart drops out of his chest as he sees his Emma trip over a log in her way and sprawl across the dirt. “Emma!!!!”

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He starts to rush over to her, but he freezes at the sound of branches breaking. As the ogre steps into the clearing, the same clearing that Killian and Emma had met in only hours earlier, Killian moves in front of her, ready to die defending his love if he must. But he is reminded of his non-corporeal form as the beast crouches right through him.

He turns in time to see his Emma-his brave, brave love-grab her weapon and hold it out to defend herself. He growls as the monster grabs the gun from her, crushing it in its hand. He smirks a second later as he hears a “Seriously?” come out of her mouth, but his anger continues to smolder and build.

He can see the edges of his body start to glow as he rages over the danger she is in, and growls back at the beast as it makes his Emma cower. “You bloody arsehole! Do you have any idea who you are messing with?!?!?!” His eyes are full of fire and his entire being strains with the need to protect what is his!

As he starts to feel the rush signaling that he is becoming more corporeal, he hears a whistle. His head whips around and he sees Snow standing there, every inch the queen she was born to be, as she demands, “Back away from my daughter!”

He smirks, seeing instantly where his Swan gets her fire from. He yells to Tink, knowing she’d understand immediately. “Help her!” After all, Tink’s highest priority is keeping Emma safe.

 

[ ](https://kittyinaz.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/seriable-observations-00152.jpg)

 

Killian moves to help Snow. As she stands there drawing an arrow, Killian concentrates, seeping into her and calming this huntress defending her cub. Together they take a breath and aim, releasing the arrow with a soft whoosh.

Tink is standing in front of Emma and she waves her hand, adding her power to Snow and Killian’s. The shot is true; it brings the ogre down before them, making a heavy thud as it hits the ground.

The arrow pierced through the eye of the beast and Snow exhales in relief, stepping forward and out of Killian. She moves to grab the arrow from the beast, and Killian grins. Snow is a superb archer and probably could have fought the ogre by herself. But the woman she was defending is his True Love and he will do anything to keep her alive.

While Emma slowly picks herself up and walks toward her, Snow tells her calmly, “You have to shoot them in the eye.” She is shocked at how calm she feels, but then it is a familiar feeling, having experienced it many times in the past.

Emma stares open-mouthed at her mother and asks, “When was the last time you shot an arrow?”

Thinking quickly, Snow answers, “28 years ago. I guess it’s like riding a bike.” She looks down, confusion fogging through her brain. She frowned; she shouldn’t have been able to make that shot. She was good, but after 28 years? That shouldn’t have been as easy as it was.

Tink looks at Killian, knowing he is a master bowman. As well as a swordsman and so on. With the age he is, you learn pretty much everything. She suspects he did more than power the arrow; she suspects it was him that shot it. He ‘helped’ Snow’s body remember the movements of shooting.

Emma is frowning as she looks down at the beast. “Yeah, but how did you know you could hit that?”

Snow tells her frankly, “I didn’t.” The two friends look at each other shocked.

Killian watches the two of them, ready to be corporeal to make them stop fighting if need be. He remembers his Emma’s words about her mother, and he would hate to see her hurt anymore.

But Snow takes a deep breath, and then tells her daughter softly, “Next time, listen to me. That kind of thing is not going to work here.” She sighs softly, knowing there is no reason Emma would know any of this. And she hasn’t been exactly helping her daughter.

Emma lifts up the hunk of metal that had been a gun, remembering what happened when she fired it, even after Killian warned her not to. “Yeah; I noticed.” She is lost, and she hates the feeling.

Snow smiles at her daughter, and tells her gently, “We should get going,” and moves off.

Emma looks down at the monster crumpled before her, holding her gun gingerly by the elongated trigger. Before she moves away Killian appears, moving to her side when he sees the lost look in her eyes. His heart aches as he sees the underlying fear clear as day. “Love,” he says to her. She looks up at him and he tells her gently, “Its ok. This is my fault. I didn’t think to tell you how they move, how they hunt. Please forgive me.” He wants to touch her, but is scared to do so. Even this early on, he has already failed her.

She looks at him in amazement. “But you helped.”

He nods, “I told you I would be here. I didn’t think it would be this way, but I am here.” He is staring at her face, needing to make sure she will be ok-that she is fine after this brush with death.

“How? Seriously, how is this possible?”

Tink appears next to her, “He is a Shadow. He is still moving off, but he is also here. Emma.” When Tink attracts her attention she tells her, “You need to follow Snow. Killian and I will be here. But now we need to get Killian to the point where you can see him, but no one else can. Go.”

Emma looks up at Killian and he tries to touch her face, but his hand fades through her. Closing his eyes, he opens them again telling her, “Emma, I will be with you. Soon. Let me remember all I need to know about this form, and then I will be ready when you are on your way.” She can see the pain of him knowing he cannot be by her side. Instinctively she knows this is a powerful gift and she can sense the pain of him not being ready to wield it fully.

She tries to smile and he tells her, “I am so proud of you, my darling. You faced an ogre. Not even the Dark One could face one without running in fear. Don’t doubt yourself. Your mother is fighting with her need to be a mother, but knowing you as her friend as well. It is hard.” Staring at his love, he truly wishes for nothing more than to be able to pull her in his arms and shelter her from the world. But his Swan is a strong one.

She smiles and turns to head out, glancing shyly over her shoulder as she goes.

Killian watches her leave and sighs. “Tink, I have a feeling this isn’t going to be easy.”

* * *

**Final count, 3,143 words.**

**Fairfarren~Wendy & Kelpie**

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****A/N:  Just a reminder that my[Wordpress ](http://kittyinaz.com/)site,  kittyinaz.com, gets the new chapters first, and that I post teasers of what I'm currently working on in my [Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/groups/529185193800251/)group.**


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